In their absence, Munster still managed to claim an impressive bonus point win over a Scottish outfit who rode into Limerick on the crest of a wave following victories over Benetton Treviso, London Irish and Racing Metro 92.
Their opponents this weekend, the Ospreys, have lost just one game in the RaboDirect PRO12 this season, going down 28-17 at Glasgow in round 7, and their only home defeat in the league in the last twelve months was a 22-20 loss to Munster last April.
But revenge for that reversal was sweet, coming as it did at Thomond Park earlier this season when the Ospreys ended an eight-match winning run for Munster against the Welsh regions.