What’s rare is wonderful

A WEEK is a long time in professional sport. In the immediate aftermath of Munster’s Heineken Cup defeat in San Sebastian, I succumbed to the inevitable and was hospitalised for hip surgery.

In the ensuing period, Munster appointed a new coach, Leinster lost one, Connacht retained their treasured one and the Lions squad for New Zealand was unveiled.

While the theme of the Lions press conference was ‘four countries uniting as one’, it was rather ironic that relations between Munster and Leinster were fairly tender in the wake of Declan Kidney’s appointment.