Anthony Foley adamant the future is bright for Munster tyros

Anthony Foley could be forgiven for pondering the what might have-beens as he closed the book on a season of disappointment for Munster on Saturday night.

Though the terms of his redefined role under the incoming Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus have still not been clarified, the head coach will see his duties radically altered when the South African arrives in the province on July 1.

That was the price Foley paid for two years at the helm of a squad whose make-up and age profile changed just as dramatically as his job description will this summer. The knock-on effects of that rugby brain drain at Munster have been painfully played out in the form of successive failures to reach the knockout stages of the Champions Cup and this season’s sixth-place finish in the Pro12, his inexperienced side only securing top-flight European rugby for next season on the final day of the regular season with a 31-15 victory over Scarlets.