Coughlan itching to end Ulster’s unbeaten run

The weather tends to be just a little less atrocious each time Munster hand James Coughlan the captain’s armband.

It will be recalled how he was at the helm when leading the side to a famous victory over the then world champions Australia in a Thomond Park storm in 2010 and the elements in the Galway Sportsground weren’t a whole lot better for Saturday’s victory over Connacht.

It was Coughlan’s third game since his return from a long-term groin injury and he was once again a towering figure in Munster’s 16-12 victory. He is more than a little relieved to have come through unscathed in the two Heineken Cup games against Saracens and another searching examination in Galway.