Munster’s Herculean heroes tame pumped-up Tigers

Munster’s visit to Welford Road was always going to prove the most challenging of the reverse fixtures against a clearly hurting trio of Aviva Premiership clubs after their Champions Cup whitewash by the Irish provinces last weekend, writes Donal Lenihan.

With Ulster and Leinster both delivering, albeit with varying degrees of difficulty, against Harlequins and Exeter Chiefs, Munster were ravenous for a first win here since that late, late show back in 2006 when a Ronan O’Gara penalty at the death closed out another fascinating contest between these two great European rivals.

If the old adage of learning more in defeat than victory rings true, then after consecutive losses here in pre-Christmas Champions Cup clashes in 2015 and 2016, Munster were well positioned to right the wrongs. All the more so when they were clearly the better side in Limerick last week.