Anthony Foley: Next steps crucial for Johnny Holland

It’s late December. Festive season, though it feels like anything but for Munster.

A season that started promisingly has been shunted off the rails by five defeats on the spin. The collateral damage is everywhere. Their European campaign is all but over, Connacht have earned a first win at Thomond Park in the pro era and Leinster have won with ease in Limerick.

Less than 24 hours after that last defeat and a faint glimmer of light emerges from Cork where out-half Johnny Holland puts a year of injury torment behind him, scoring a try, kicking well and orchestrating a win for Munster’s development side over the Ireland U20s.