MONEY'S TOO TIGHT TO MENTION

Munster don't have luxury of getting it wrong again ahead of vital quarter-final

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BRIAN BORU, Munster's most famous High King, along with sons Murchad and Toirdelbach, gained a notable win in Dublin in 1014.

Some 10 centuries later, latter day High King Ian Costello, along with princes Mikey Prendergast and Denis Leamy, managed a similar 10-14 feat on the final day of the URC league-proper.

That is, recovering from 10-14 down at half-time in Musgrave Park, Cork, to defeat Benetton.

If the significance of Boru's victory was driving Sigtrygg Silkbeard's hated Vikings out of Ireland, then latter-day regent Costello had saved Munster from more than just the ignominy of failing to qualify for the 2025/26 Champions Cup.

It was also a win that may well have pulled the province back from the brink of insolvency and the potential fall to become minor players in Europe in future Champions Cup qualification.

Without elite European competi tion, qualification year-by-year would be fringe theatre, a night out, but loss-making.

Season tickets and sponsorship would flatline, quality foreign signings would have less quality, and when it would come to future-proofing, continually losing the battle for emerging talent,.

Such is the current landscape that the Heineken Cup-winning days, the wide-eyed charge of 2000 and 2002 followed by the search for Holy Grail to 2006 seem as simple as driving on the motorway.

Heineken/Champions Cup participation funds and large crowds at Thomond Park that giddied at year on year thrills and spills - cheated in Lille, losing to a fevered Basque nationalist rally in San Sebastian, FOUR epic finals in nine seasons, two wins.