The Kieran Shannon Interview: Donal Lenihan reflects on the rise of rugby professionalism

From the amateur model he thrived in, the world of professional rugby is a different game to Donal Lenihan. Vastly improved, of course, but not better in every way. Nowadays, head coaches are conjuring up ways to achieve what a few pints in once managed, writes Kieran Shannon.

A little over two weeks ago, as Donal Lenihan sat in a church in Killaloe, he found himself more than once looking across from his pew at the current Munster rugby team and wondering how they were going to be able to play a Champions Cup game the following day.

They were all sipping from their bottled water throughout the three-plus hours in there, a glimpse of their professionalism and determination to do justice to Anthony Foley’s memory, but Lenihan still couldn’t help but think how this was about the least ideal preparation for a match a team could have.