The Irish provinces get their European Rugby Champions Cup campaigns underway this weekend, with Leinster hosting Wasps, Ulster at Oyonnax and Munster welcoming Treviso to Thomond Park in a match which is live on Newstalk this Saturday.
The Irish Times' rugby correspondent Gerry Thornley was on Off The Ball last night to help us look ahead to the tournament and here's what he had to say about Leinster and Munster.
Leinster
"There's no doubt that there are shoots of a real change and rejuvenation in Leinster rugby, that they're playing more of an offloading, more expansive game and there is this craving for that among the Leinster fans.
"But there is the talent there to play that brand of rugby and that's what they want. And of course, it's to Leo Cullen's help and Girvan Dempsey help that Jonny Sexton is back as well. It makes a huge difference.
Munster
"Well, in the same way, you can't dilute what Munster are about. So, if they tap a penalty into the corner, you expect their maul and their one-off runners to work, you expect it to be hugely intense, driven by the pack - even now without Paul O'Connell.
"This torch has to be passed on now without him. They've been hugely dependent on him for much of the last decade - not surprisingly because he's been their best ever player probably pound-for-pound - and the difference he made to that pack when he was there, in terms of their intensity and accuracy of their mauling was just a sight to behold. It always looked like seven younger brothers playing for their older brother or seven players playing for their Dad.
Conor Murray with head coach Anthony Foley ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy
"So, it's a very important season for them. If they were to retain their strengths, you'd like to see a little bit more of Zebo and Earls and the game-breakers they have out wide, to not go from one extreme to another as they did in the Rob Penney era. I thought there were a lot of good signs in a lot of what they did last season, if you ignore the [Pro12] final.
"I think if they get out of their pool and be competitive in Europe with the distinctive brand of rugby that relies on their strengths and a good aggressive defence, suffocating teams at Thomond Park like they always do, then Munster fans are realistic to know that Anthony Foley deserves to be cut some slack."
The Irish provinces' first round of Champions Cup fixtures
Oyonnax v Ulster, Saturday 1pm
Munster v Benetton Treviso, Saturday 5.15pm
Leinster v Wasps, Sunday 1pm
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