It’s not all plain sailing for confident Francis Saili

The 24-year-old centre has left his native New Zealand to join a Munster team that has lost three games in a row, but is optimistic he can help turn things around..

FRANCIS Saili strides into the Castletroy Park hotel and parks his frame in an armchair. His ‘man bun’ hairstyle, which Munster supporters have quickly grown used to seeing bob as energetically as its owner in midfield, is protected under a Carhartt bobble hat and he’s tired after a high-intensity Tuesday training session on an energy-sapping pitch. Yet there’s no hiding the beaming smile.

The 24-year-old is as upbeat a character as you will meet, although there are plenty of reasons for a recently exiled Aucklander not to be on a miserable, grey Limerick afternoon.