Thomond shines in the rain

IT wasn’t a great game, and the weather didn’t help, but Saturday night at Thomond Park represented a memorable occasion for Munster rugby.

Generally speaking, the €40 million stadium came through its baptism with distinction and when a few teething troubles are ironed out, it’ll become a very worthy home for the two-time European champions.

The players wanted to put on a show worthy of the reopening of the ground but a combination of factors, mainly the teeming rain throughout, ruled that out of the question. But the 19,220 spectators and the Munster and Glasgow teams involved in the Magners League game appreciated that this was something very special, a point very well made by the Lions, Ireland and Munster second-row forward Donncha O’Callaghan.