Clinical Munster leave Ronan O’Gara in awe

Ronan O’Gara knew Munster were good. He just didn’t realise quite how good. He could laugh about it afterwards, though it was a hollow effort quickly dispensed with. There just wasn’t an inch of him that found solace in the fact it was his province filleting his Racing 92 colleagues.

“I was taken aback. I knew they’d be good but watching them up close they were really good. They have great detail in their game and one of the biggest things that struck me was athletes in their prime against guys in their 30’s.”

Racing fielded a XV with eight players aged 30 and over and they were no match, individually or collectively, for a Munster side with so many opponents operating at or near their prime and with all the motivation in the world to carry them.