Now Munster must really front up

THE last few weeks on the road across the rugby homes of Europe has been challenging to say the least.

Aircraft engine failure in the dead of night in Clermont, missing train drivers and freezing roads meant the journey to and from south Wales last weekend was no picnic either. The prospect of spending Christmas in Swansea is not one to excite.

For Munster, the ease with which they have become accustomed to navigating their way around Europe is also being called into question. The forthcoming expedition to previously unchartered territory in Toulon will define their season.