Niall Scannell: Jacques Nienaber a big hitter in Munster's defensive effort

It took a South African defence coach to release the genie, but now it’s out, Munster’s tenacity and enthusiasm without the ball is in no danger of being returned to the bottle.

There was a time when Niall Scannell struggled to understand why some opponents took a peculiar pleasure in getting quickly off the line and landing big hits on their targets, but after a summer working with former Springbok defence coach Jacques Nienaber, the penny has dropped for the hooker.

Incoming director of rugby Rassie Erasmus wasted no time in bringing Nienaber with him from the South African Rugby Union when he signed a three-year contract to lead Munster into a new era.