These things are relative for sure. But in the midst of what must have been a very trying time and a uniquely make-it-up-on-the-hoof build-up for Sunday’s Heineken Champions Cup opener against Wasps in Coventry, of some consolation in that nine of Munster’s internationals were spared the fraught trip to South Africa.
Admittedly, with only three forwards among them, Munster do look potentially a little light up front, although then again, helpfully, one of the trio is captain Peter O'Mahony.
One would imagine that this past fortnight has afforded him a little taste of what coaching might be like, although not the way he tells it.
“I was kind of wondering about that but I just didn’t want to do anything differently, I didn’t want them to see anything that I wouldn’t normally do on another week.
“Certainly, if I could explain things or make things easier that I thought I could explain, well then I would step in and be able to do that comfortably. But at the end of the day I’ve got myself to worry about, and a performance to pull out of myself on Sunday. That’s important as well.
“So it’s just trying to be as cool and chilled as possible, just not make it any different. It’s another week for us, while doing my best to help guys along, has kind of been my priority.”
Nor will the captain have an input into the selection.
“No, I’ve enough on my plate at the moment. I’ll stay well out of that. It’s out of my pay grade I’m afraid.”
While the senior coaches have linked up with the skeletal staff in the high-performance centre [HPC], Zoom calls can only achieve so much.
"It has to be on site really and Cozzy [Ian Costello] and Andy Kyriacou (elite player development officer) have both done an incredible job over the last couple of weeks, given the circumstances – incredible organisation and we've had some super sessions," said O'Mahony.
“So it is all whoever is left in the HPC, with the input coming in certainly from the guys stuck in bedrooms. But it’s kind of up to what’s left here really.”
Normally, in a European Cup week, O’Mahony says the team would be fine-tuning things. But in trying to get the infusion of new young players up to speed they’ve had to go back to “some of our core stuff”. And without being overbearing about it.
“Most of it is very chilled. I mean, when we get to our sessions obviously our intensity is very high and sometimes patience, when it shouldn’t, wears a bit thin. But nine times out of 10, it’s all very calm. It’s just about explaining and talking, and once we’ve that learning done then it’s about putting it into practice.
“It’s different then when it’s a high intensity and training, and you’re blowing a bit. Sometimes it’s very difficult to remember stuff that you’ve just learnt even. But that’s part of the challenge trying to get as much in, little bits here and there, little and often, to try and get it to sink in and, in the last couple of sessions, put it into practice.
“We’ve another session on Friday and we’ll get there.”
Nonetheless, O’Mahony sounds energised by the unusual circumstances of the last fortnight and, in the heel of the hunt, this still feels like a European Cup week.
“It is different but there’s still a great buzz for lots of reasons. It’s Europe, the opportunity that’s there, the craic we’re having around the place is brilliant and so there is a great buzz and you certainly know it is a European Cup week.”
Past Munster players on the outside probably wish they’d been part of a challenge like this. It’s classic Munster, and in resorting to their roots in their time of need, it’s set up for a sleeves-rolled-up start to another European campaign. Their storied history in this tournament demands it.
“There’s always a belief there. There’s always a belief in playing for Munster and what it means to people. I’ve touched on it, but the amount of people we produce through our academy is huge and we’re lucky, we integrate guys from other countries and our provinces really well and they complement us, but at the core of it you’ve guys who it means that little bit more to, I think, and that matters,” says O’Mahony.
“It has to matter and when your backs are against the wall at times, that has to come out. We’ll be relying on different things at the weekend. We’ll have two good weeks of training but we’ll need a bit of luck and we’ll need a bit of dog in us as well, and I’m sure the guys will turn up for it.”
