Ronan O'Gara: April, the month when stars come in and excuses run out

If I could argue that Saturday's game against Leinster is, long-term, more important for Munster than the Exeter double-header, would you hear me out?

BACK IN RED: Joey Carbery in Munster training this week.

A picture on social media this week underlined rugby’s changing priorities at this time of year, from international to the club. One might ponder whether it was the costliest bench of replacements ever assembled in the Top 14, but Toulouse were having enough of bother dealing with Lyon to summon a quartet of France’s Grand Slam winners to secure an eventual 27-19 victory. Enter Antoine Dupont, Roman Ntamack, Francois Cros, and Julien Marchand in the 49th minute.

We are all in the same boat, if truth be told. Every coach likes to think he can make do without his frontline internationals but it’s fanciful nonsense. The question of whether to start them first game back post Six Nations or feed them back into the formation is a case-by-case scenario.