The destinations around the globe that saw a Munster presence included Chicago, New York, Dubai, Portugal, Sydney and Grenoble while Doug Howlett and Jeremy Manning flew home to New Zealand to lend their support to their bro Lifeimi Mafi when he gets married to Sera on Saturday.

The internationals were billeted in the Castletroy Park Hotel this week although those not involved in the A game against England Saxons had a short enough week allowed home on Tuesday evening and due to re-assemble in Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel next Sunday evening. They'll be joined by the A squad or the Ireland Wolfhounds as they'll now be known, returning from England from the game earlier that day at the Recreation Ground in Bath.

Denis Hurley meanwhile has cried off that Ireland Wolfhounds side, having failed to recover from the calf injury that forced him to miss the Northampton game, his place going to Gavin Duffy.

Next week sees the Munster squad reassemble in preparation for the restart of the British & Irish Cup and the fixture with Nottingham scheduled for Waterford Regional Sports Ground on Friday February 12th (7pm).  Ticket details here.

Their lead-in to that competition takes in an Interprovincial championship clash with Connacht at Thomond Park Stadium next Thursday (4th) with a 6.30pm kick off.

On Wednesday (10th Feb) a Munster squad heads to Lanzarote for a warm-weather camp and when they return it's straight into Magners League and the game against Edinburgh at Musgrave Park on Friday the 19th.  Tickets on sale here.

It's that Edinburgh game that Barry Murphy has targetted for his return to Magners action having limped out of the game against Dragons in late September. Murphy hopes to get some game time against Nottingham in the B&I Cup while there's also good news for Ciaran O'Boyle who hopes to be involved on Thursday in the A game v Connacht.