With Munster out of the Champions Cup at the pool stage, how rosy is their future?
Tonight, ex-Leinster captain Liam Toland and The Irish Times' Gerry Thornley were in the Off The Ball studio to discuss issues including how changes to foreign player restrictions to allow for big name purchases would affect provinces, especially Munster.
Toland pointed out that current purchasing power among the provinces could benefit some provinces more than others.
"All the evidence suggests that Munster's purchasing power is at an all-time low. So if you brought in a new rule like that, it might impact positively in Leinster and Ulster. But where would that leave Munster?"
He also highlighted the threat that Connacht, who have attracted the likes of ex-New Zealand international Mils Muliaina to the west coast, pose to Munster.
"Munster has always been a first class location for world class players to go to. But that has been ebbing away. You can see that with the advancement of Connacht," he said.
"There's a real solidity to what they're doing and it's a real threat to the Munster brand. If you can attract top class All Blacks into Connacht, bypassing Munster, it's a real concern."
Gerry also picked out structural issues at underage level which could have a bearing on Munster's future.
"The clubs game has ebbed and has been replaced by the schools game which is now the bulk suppliers to the provinces and certainly to Leinster. They've got a conveyer belt of a lot of high fee-paying schools, better facilities in some instances than the Munster academy have and they are identified very early," said Gerry.
"Their isn't the same level in schools [in Munster], there aren't the same standards in rugby in the schools game. [Munster] took their eye off the ball."
Toland also felt that Munster miss the single-minded individuals of old, while Thornley felt some "aura" has been lost in the defeat to Saracens.
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