James Coughlan: ‘There is a massive gulf between Toulouse and Munster at the moment’

Coughlan says now is an opportunity for Munster to give the likes of Gavin Coombes, Craig Casey, Fineen Wycherley, and Jack O’Donoghue lots of game-time

Munster's Joey Carbery comes up against Jerome Kaino of Toulouse. Picture: INPHO/Billy Stickland

To James Coughlan the gulf in class between Toulouse and Munster in last Saturday’s Heineken Champions Cup Round of 16 clash was clear and obvious, and the potential fixes for his native province straightforward but difficult to achieve.

Yet the former No. 8, a member of the last Munster side to lift a trophy in 2011 and now defence coach with French Top 14 side Brive, knows something has to change because right now he believes the team he represented 139 times between 2007 and 2014 does not have the strength in depth to compete consistently at Europe’s top table.