Munster’s season-defining fortnight

FOUR tries against old foes, a bonus point and a stretching of their lead atop the Magners League is not a bad start to the New Year by any stretch of the imagination for Munster.

Yet there is so much more at stake for the province in the coming weeks that more needs to be read into this derby victory than just the scoreline.

The Mediterranean was the last place to have entered anyone’s imagination during a cold, wet night in Limerick on Saturday, yet for Munster, the enormity of their visit to Toulon in two weeks is inescapable.