Paul O’Connell fears decline of AIL has hit Munster hardest

Paul O’Connell insists the decline of the Ulster Bank League is at the heart of Munster’s failure to win a trophy in five years.

The former Ireland and Munster captain was speaking at the Momentum Summit at Aviva Stadium yesterday and he has no doubts the province’s European title successes in 2006 and 2008 stemmed from the heydays of the All-Ireland League.

“That team was created in the AIL and [in the past] the AIL in Limerick and Cork was the be all and end all. Being in an AIL team in Limerick, it gave you incredible status, the same as playing for the Kilkenny hurling team,” said O’Connell.