Donal Lenihan in South Africa: Munster's season has finally taken off

At the famed Loftus Versfeld, the sign that greets players as they run out of the tunnel is there for a reason. 'Altitude. 1350m. It matters.'

WORTH THE TRIP: The loyalty of the Muster faithful never ceases to amaze. They were there in force again last Saturday at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria. Pic: Deon van der Merwe

Sunshine, glorious sunshine. Having dealt with the fallout from La Rochelle and the monsoon conditions experienced in Cork recently which necessitated hosting the French visitors for training in Temple Hill, much to Leo Cullen’s dissatisfaction, it’s been great to decamp to South Africa for a week.

I got the impression from the Munster players in advance of Saturday’s visit to Pretoria they felt the exact same way. If exiting the Champions Cup at the Round of 16 stage was both painful and disappointing, a two week trek to the land of the Springbok offers Munster the perfect opportunity to regroup, spend some decent time in each others company and the chance to refocus all their energy on retaining the URC crown won in such spectacular fashion last season.