Anthony Foley must steady Munster's ship before it heads over a waterfall

It would be tempting to say Munster could do with a week or two off to sort out the numerous issues that have them, in CJ Stander’s words, heading towards the waterfall, but that is not an option for the men in red.

To stretch the captain’s metaphor, aired in yesterday’s Irish Examiner coverage of Sunday’s 24-7 Guinness Pro12 home defeat to Leinster, the good ship Munster has hit the rocks, sprung several leaks and is careening down rapids towards the precipice.

Five straight defeats, during which much of the damage has been self-inflicted, represents the worst period of form since a miserable Celtic League run in October 2003. That particular campaign saw the province finish in seventh place, still ahead of arch-rivals Leinster and Connacht, and they got their act together sufficiently to reach the Heineken Cup semi-finals, losing to Wasps at Lansdowne Road.