Donal Lenihan: Munster couldn't be that unlucky again with a stellar import, could they?

RED ALERT: Munster lock RG Snyman is treated for what coach Johann Van Graan said was a ‘serious looking injury’ at the Aviva. Picture: Ramsey Cardy

This is going to take some getting used to. Perched in the prime seats, bang on Aviva Stadium's halfway line in the relative isolation of the RTÉ commentary box, the irony of the situation was hard to dismiss.

For years the supporters of Munster and Leinster have bristled at the fact that the annual Guinness Pro14 local derbies, played out at the Aviva Stadium and over the festive period in Thomond Park in front of packed audiences, have been diluted by the absence of the main protagonists from both sides.