Thomond schooling guides Byrne into Páirc Uí Chaoimh showdown

Byrne knows he will be viewed by Munster supporters through the prism of his Leinster allegiances this weekend, even though he has moved on to Gloucester.

THOMOND SCHOOLING: Gloucester's Ross Byrne

Ross Byrne credits the white heat of Thomond Park for teaching him the arts of game and crowd management and the former Leinster fly-half will bring all that to bear when Gloucester pitch up at Páirc Uí Chaoimh to face Munster this Saturday.

Now 30, and with 22 Ireland caps to his name, Byrne was in the third and final year of the Leinster academy when he played for the first time in the 2016 St Stephen’s night derby and though he came out on the wrong side of 29-17 defeat he admitted the experience gave him some valuable lessons which he implemented to good effect just 12 months later in a 34-24 victory for Leo Cullen’s men.