Ryan to stay, but Munster will lose Laulala

Munster’s weekend to remember signed off in the perfect fashion yesterday when Ireland forward Donnacha Ryan committed his future to the province for another three years.

The news, following recent speculation the lock/back row was considering a move to either England or France, tempered confirmation from Munster that former All Black centre Casey Laulala was leaving at the end of the campaign.

Ryan, who turned 30 last week, had made his return from an eight-week injury absence in Munster’s dramatic 18-17 Heineken Cup victory on Saturday at Perpignan, one of the clubs with whom he had been linked with a switch at the end of his current deal next summer. London Irish were another side understood to be vying for Ryan’s services but the Tipperary man yesterday put pen to paper on an IRFU contract that will keep him at Munster until at least June 2017.