Munster coach Graham Rowntree shaken by ‘saddening’ Steve Thompson news

"It's quite unsettling really. I played in that era, I had concussions. I played alongside Steve, played against Steve, coached Steve. He's a mate. It's just horrible."

Munster forwards coach Graham Rowntree with Chris Farrell at training in UL. Picture: INPHO/Bryan Keane

Graham Rowntree’s response yesterday to the news that former England team-mate Steve Thompson had been diagnosed with early-onset dementia was multi-layered. 

Both his sadness for a friend’s plight and the unsettledness he felt about what that could mean for him were entirely understandable, but the Munster forwards coach was also confident that today’s players are much better protected than those of his generation.