John "Paco" Fitzgerald says Munster must invest to halt slide

Notwithstanding the record-breaking points tally in the slaughter of Sale Sharks on Sunday, John "Paco" Fitzgerald has warned that Munster must seriously consider a cash injection to keep pace with increased European investment in playing resources.

The former international prop remembers poorer days in the tournament, not least his last cap in the Stade Les Sept Deniers in 1997, when Munster lost 60-19 to Toulouse.

He has seen the better days as well, but believes the win over Sale wasn’t one of them.

“Sale were absolute rubbish. Very, very poor. They did Munster no service. Yes, the performance level was far more energetic and they had more life in them. But that win, given what was offered by Sale, can be a false reflection. I’d give Munster credit to a degree, of course. Going out to score that amount of points is great, amazing.

“It was great to see guys like Keith Earls, Zebo and Dave O’Callaghan open the lungs, but I still wouldn’t be shouting off the rooftops because Sale folded and, having said that, Sale made us look amateurish when they opened us up with their first try.”

Now settled down to life as a financial advisor with Acorn Life in Nenagh, Fitzgerald still takes a huge interest in how Munster fare. He can never see the bad days of the late 1990s returning but warns that quick action must be taken to keep pace with the money men of Europe.

“Cash will always win out in the end. You can build teams with money. Those who say it won’t are codding themselves. Toulon are a prime example: the club is a man-made cash ball. They bought the Heineken Cup last year by virtue of the team they had on the pitch and on the bench. Don’t get me wrong, they had to go out and perform but they’re buying the best players and those players are expected to perform on a weekly basis.

“It’s a serious worry Munster might slip off the map now. You have to be able to see when there is a blip happening. When there is a blip in the stock markets, it can hurt people; now is a blip in the performance and skill levels so it’s hurting in terms of results. They need to stop it now if they want to remain at the top level.

“They might have to look to Connacht who are a prime example of taking action; they made an investment in the likes of Pat Lam and overseas players where required; they’re rising now when they were in danger of going off the map.”