Browne: Munster’s ‘crying need’ for cover swung Grobler’s arrival

Philip Browne has suggested Munster’s signing of Gerbrandt Grobler was down to a “crying need” for second-row cover, a situation that led the province and the IRFU to ignore the player’s former doping ban.

The IRFU chief executive said yesterday that the union will review its policy on signing players with a history of doping, but revealed they were fully aware of the player’s past when Rassie Erasmus presented the former Stormers lock to them last year.

With Donnacha Ryan moving to Racing 92 in France and Tadhg Beirne not available until this coming summer, Munster needed someone quickly.