DONAL LENIHAN: The day the new red wave came of age

An hour before kick off, Sky’s Stuart Barnes pulled me aside in Thomond Park, seeking a quick insight on Tommy O’Donnell.

Munster were hosting Ulster in the quarter-final of the Heineken Cup and Barnsey was hunting a little local knowledge.

A long time admirer of the Tipperary man, I was possibly a little over-effusive in my assessment of the quarter-final debutant when comparing him to Australian powerhouse groundhog David Pocock. He was still learning his trade as an open side at the time after playing the majority of his rugby to that point in one of the other two back-row slots. I was convinced, however, that his future was as a No 7 and that he had the ability to go all the way. Barnes was taken aback a little by my ringing endorsement.