The boys are back in town.
For the first time since the end of October, the full Munster squad will assemble in the high-performance centre in University of Limerick this morning.
Back then no one could have predicted that path that they would take to get back here.
Split into three camps after the Omicron crisis hit, 14 members of the touring party had to stay in South Africa to complete their isolation following positive Covid tests.
Worse still, they then had to do something similar upon their arrival in Ireland.
Thirty-four others returned home to complete mandatory self-isolation under the Irish government's regulations, while the rest, made up of returning Ireland internationals, academy and development players, went to Wasps and won.
A mixture of the two latter groups were too good for Castres last Saturday.
And the last of the isolation periods ended yesterday, meaning that there’s a big reunion on the cards today in UL.
"It’s been an incredibly challenging last four or five weeks, you know, a lot of disruption," Jack O’Donoghue, initially marooned in South Africa, but who returned with the first batch home, tells RTÉ Sport.
"We stayed in touch, we were broken up into three separate groups there at one stage.
"We had WhatsApp groups, we had travelling groups and stuff like that. We all kept in touch.
"We all were able to help each other out in any way possible, be it picking up the phone and having a Facetime with someone who might be still sitting in isolation.
"I went through it myself in isolation so there’s a lot of hours in the day and just picking up the phone and chatting to someone, making sure they’re all right, you know, it takes its toll mentally, absolutely."
Academy manager Ian Costello took charge of first XVs affairs for the trip to Coventry and it was decided that none of the tourists, who might have been free to join up on the morning of the game, would be involved.
Looking on from the outside brought mixed emotions for the 27-year-old Waterford native but pride conquered all as 12 senior debutants brought home a bonus point.
He added: "I was in a hotel so certainly you’re on your own in the room for a lot of hours of the day but I think once we got back to Ireland and the lads were preparing for Wasps, we were able to dial into all the meetings and that kept us on our schedule as such so that when they were in the meetings, we were in the meetings too.
"So we were following the schedule as normal so that when we came back into the HPC it wasn’t too disorientating or anything like that.
"And certainly it helped pass the hours because when the lads were training you were able to do a workout in the room and you knew that everyone was working behind the scenes even though there was no-one keeping themselves accountable.
"[The win against Wasps] was unbelievable.
"The excitement that I had sitting at home watching that game, it was like I was a teenager again, sitting in Thomond Park watching one of these miracle matches.
"The joy I had for those young lads making their debuts, I’ve seen the work that they put in, the extras they’re doing after training and to be able to see them get their opportunity and perform so well, it was really satisfying and really enjoyable to watch I think we all agree."
The back row scored what turned out to be the winning try against Castres on Saturday.
Before it was awarded the officials engaged in a lengthy conference call before confirming O’Donoghue’s touchdown in the corner would stand.
"Ah look, these big games, it turned out to be a pivotal moment in the game," he said.
"They’re right to take their time over things. They’re never just going to go into any decision blind.
"It was a big call in the game and I was confident enough that I got the try so that’s why we ran back to the halfway line."
Munster didn’t play near their best against an awkward French outfit, but given what the collective had been through over the last three weeks, it’s a result that would have taken in advance, no questions asked.
Speaking before the match the Castres president suggested that in the wake of eight European ties being called off, their trip to Limerick was "absurd". However, they didn’t roll over for their hosts.
"I didn’t hear that anyway, if that was the chat going on during the week," added the UL Bohs clubman.
"Look, we can only play the team that was in front of us. They brought massive physicality. We knew they were a big French team up front, you know, you saw a scrum, maul battle. It was quite draining on us physically.
"Yeah, they brought us into a dog fight but for us to be able to weather that wave and still come away with a win is a massive positive .
"We’ll take away some learnings and some maybe execution errors but that can all be tidied up during the week and I think it was a good test for us physically leading into Leinster next week."
"The joy I had for those young lads making their debuts, I’ve seen the work that they put in, the extras they’re doing after training and to be able to see them get their opportunity and perform so well, it was really satisfying and really enjoyable to watch I think we all agree."
After the socially distanced reunion this morning, attention will focus on the visit of Leinster to Thomond on St Stephen’s Day, which had sold out but is now subject to the 5,000 capacity limit in place.
Munster always seem to be fighting against the odds, with even the news that coach Johann van Graan is to leave breaking in the middle of their latest odyssey.
O’Donoghue said: "It’s been an incredible two weeks for the organisation to the see the lads from the AIL, the uncontracted lads; to Pat Campbell who’s just come into his first year in the academy to keep his starting position in the XV, it’s a massive positive for us.
"It puts us in a really good place going forward and not just this season but next season and so on."
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