Donal Lenihan: Ireland have been parachuted into a gunfight. Have they the ammo to cope?

Europe's big guns can’t logically expect to fill stadia and bolster bank balances on the back of three bumper autumn internationals without reciprocal arrangements for their southern hemisphere counterparts at this time of the year

WING MAN: Ireland hooker Dan Sheehan moves it wide during training at St Peter's College in Johannesburg. Pic: Dan Sheridan, Inpho

It’s been a pretty sobering two months for Irish rugby. May closed out with another demoralising Champions Cup final defeat for Leinster at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, their third in a row.

With the knockout phase of the URC to come and a draw that screamed a potential final showdown between Munster and Leinster at Thomond Park to finally call time on the domestic season, there was plenty for the two leading provinces to aim for in June.