‘Anthony Foley is Monsieur Munster’, says Racing coach

The ashen faces outside Stade Yves du Manoir yesterday lunchtime suggested this was no ordinary pre-match atmosphere.

A sunny, warm day in Paris with an eagerly-awaited European clash between Munster and Ronan O’Gara’s Racing 92 in the offing, the scene around the home of the French champions should have been festive.

Instead, the grim, scarcely believable news that Anthony Foley had passed away was filtering through the crowds in the streets outside the stadium. Unconfirmed reports at first, then the unwanted confirmation that Axel, Munster’s head coach, had died overnight at the team hotel. He was only 42.