Munster’s seven-try demolition of interprovincial rivals Connacht, their seventh league win in a row since a defeat to the same opposition in Galway on January 1, made that prospect a distinct possibility, continuing the momentum which kick into overdrive with back-to-back bonus-point victories in South Africa in the previous two rounds.

With 34 points garnered from their last possible 35, Munster are two points off the pace being set by Glasgow Warriors and a point behind second-placed Leinster. With two regular-season games remaining, away to Edinburgh this Friday, and at home to Ulster on June 1, earning a home semi-final with a top-two finish is within their grasp. Given their ability to win last season’s title with three knockout wins away from home 12 months ago, Munster’s current form suggests anything is possible for Graham Rowntree’s squad.

Certainly any repeat of the performance that put this contest beyond their derby rivals will make Munster a very tough nut to crack when the play-offs arrive. And with Thomond Park rocking as it was with 20,183 in attendance on Saturday, a home draw is once again looking an advantage rather than the burden it had appeared to be earlier in the season when draw with Champions Cup rookies Bayonne was followed by a league defeat to Leinster and another pool loss, this time to Northampton Saints.

The arrival of decent weather has undoubtedly helped Rowntree’s cause, as the head coach noted in his post-match comments as he reflected on seven different try scorers, three having contributed off the bench.

“Yeah, the conditions suited us tonight,” Rowntree said, “24 degrees in Limerick, you don’t say that very often. The way we want to play the game, the way Mike (Prendergast) has got us set up to attack, we’re a possession team now, so I was pleased.

“I was just pleased with our composure. We were bit angsty at half-time because we hadn’t got things our own way but we stuck to the plan. Our fitness and our bench were very good.” 

First-half scores from RG Snyman, on his first Thomond Park start, and a superb individual finish off first-phase ball from Calvin Nash had come during a 10-minute power play with Connacht back-rower Shamus Hurley-Langton in the sin bin but were tempered by missed opportunities and the concession of a cheap try launched off scrum ball for Connacht wing Byron Ralston.

Yet a 14-7 half-time lead soon turned into one-way traffic in a glorious second-half for the home side and its support base. Man of the match Alex Nankivell, then replacements Conor Murray, Joey Carbery and Tom Ahern kept the party going before starting wing Shane Daly wrapped up the romp as the visitors’ defence dissolved in the face of free-flowing running rugby.

Having fallen out of the top eight before kick-off due to results elsewhere, Connacht’s misery was complete while the home side’s latest five-point haul moved them eight clear of their closest threat to a home play-off quarter-final, the fifth-placed Stormers.

Rowntree could not help but be satisfied with the current situation, albeit warily.

“I am, I am but week by week, as boring and pragmatic as an old prop forward can be, we’ll take it week by week and we’ll see where we end up on the first of June.” 

Fortunately for the reporters present on Saturday night, Jack O’Donoghue was a touch more effusive about where his team are at right now.

“There’s a lot hunger to get on the ball,” the back-rower said after an excellent individual performance. “People were working hard to get into position to offer themselves up as an option and I think that’s what allowed us to play a good brand of rugby.

“The first 20 minutes, things didn’t go our way. We found ourselves inside their five-metre line, we get turned over but we didn’t panic, we knew we’d get another opportunity. We had composure to absorb their pressure and transfer it back onto them.

“It just shows we can play rugby. We can play a good brand of rugby and score tries and match that in with the defence and we’ll have a few fixes there but certainly once your attack is humming and looking to score tries and your defence is knocking them back you’re happy at the end of the day.” 

As O’Donoghue suggested, Munster’s ability to deny opposition attacks has been just as important to their winning run. Connacht were denied three times by big individual defensive interventions, with tryline tackles from both captain Tadhg Beirne and fellow forward Gavin Coombes leading to knock-ons by the attacking team while Nankivell produced a try-saving tackle on Hurley-Langton on 58 minutes.

“Nanks in particular I thought,” Rowntree said. “That was outstanding that. Our defence is up there with one of the best in the league, for a reason. We’ve got a great coach (Denis Leamy) and the lads all believe in him, they all row in behind him.

“There’s always improvements. We’re coming up against teams now who want to attack against us – particularly watching (Connacht) in the warm-up, they were trying to take us on our short side a lot – so there’s always work-ons.” 

MUNSTER: S Zebo; C Nash, A Nankivell, S O'Brien (A Frisch, 47), S Daly; J Crowley (J Carbery, 59), C Casey (C Murray, 58); J Loughman (M Donnelly, 70), N Scannell (E Clarke, 68), S Archer (O Jager, 50); RG Snyman (T Ahern, 57), T Beirne - captain; P O'Mahony, A Kendellen (G Coombes, 44), J O'Donoghue.

CONNACHT: T O’Halloran (C Forde, 40); S Jennings, T Farrell, B Aki, B Ralston; J Carty - captain, M Devine (C Blade, 24); P Dooley (J Duggan, 52), D Heffernan (D Tierney-Martin, 66), F Bealham (J Aungier, 52); O Dowling (N Murray, 60), G Thornbury; S Hurley-Langton, C Oliver (S Jansen, 52), P Boyle (J Butler, 59).

Yellow Card: S Hurley-Langton 19-29 

Referee: Adam Jones (Wales)