‘It’s not the end of the world’

Q: Was it simply an ageing team growing old together?

Donal Lenihan: “There’s an element of that. If you look at the ages of the Munster players in the match programme then the mileage is there, and it’s almost inevitable that a team with so much experience — hundreds of Heineken Cup appearances among them — that you go to the well once too often. There’s a feeling that younger blood will have to be introduced over the next 12 months, but it would also be less than respectful not to recognise the achievements of some of the greatest players who’ve appeared in the tournament for over a decade. Players earn the right to a starting position, until such time as it’s deemed there’s someone better to take their place. For me the challenge now is not just that the younger players must be given an opportunity, but that they’ll have to be in a position to take that opportunity. That’s going to be a test for Munster.”

Q: Where will Munster source a cutting edge behind the scrum?