Munster’s briefing encounter

AS judgement calls go, the decision by the Munster rugby hierarchy to host a breakfast briefing in the heart of Limerick - where a robust dissertation of hot issues such as current form, ticket availability and the particularly thorny issue of Christian Cullen’s net worth to the team - was top drawer.

Perhaps it was the early hour of the day or maybe the calm reason with which chief executive Garrett Fitzgerald and coach Alan Gaffney explained their thinking, but the anticipated bloodletting never happened as the 200 odd attendees stoically listened to why Munster Rugby is doing things the way it is.

With Limerick being the hotbed of rugby in this part of the world, a certain disaffection with a variety of issues, not least the disappointing opening Celtic League run, might have been expected. But no, there was no table thumping or even raised voices; just a calm acceptance that many of the thornier issues were out of the Munster authority’s control.