An ageing Munster are depleted by illness and injury, compromised by error-strewn performances and fielding an out-of-form kicker. Don't write them off, writes GERRY THORNLEY

ARE MUNSTER in crisis? Is this the beginning of the end? If history has taught us anything it is that forecasts of Munster’s demise invariably prove premature but that said, the dismal defeat in Edinburgh last Friday – their fourth in eight games this season – underlined again that they do have issues.

This, in turn, has attendant issues for the Irish management who, once again, would not have enjoyed their weekend’s viewing prior to announcing a squad of about 37 for the November Tests today. The bolters, such as Kevin McLaughlin or Chris Henry, are nearly all liable to come from the other provinces.

In the heel of the hunt, Munster never conceded a try last Friday night in Edinburgh, missed two shots at goal and had two tries disallowed – one of them wrongly so. And Munster weren’t exactly the first Irish side to have struggled in a soulless, cavernous Murrayfield, all the more so on a wet Friday in a badly-refereed Magners League game.

Even so, coming after the concession of 81 points and eight tries in two and a quarter games against Leinster, Northampton and Treviso, Munster were expected to make a better statement than this limp, error-strewn effort. Their scrum and disjointed lineout didn’t give them sufficient platform, which was compounded by them tossing the ball up so many times. At one stage, they spilled three one-off passes in a row. Technically, it was a very poor performance and if a team doesn’t attack off good, go-forward ball there’s little can be achieved against well-organised, modern-day defences.

Last season, virtually at full strength from the off, Munster began their campaign by winning seven games in a row. But two seasons ago, they won only three of their first seven matches (and went on to become European champions). In 2006-07, they lost four of their first six games.

Sluggish starts go with the territory of providing the spine of Team Ireland for much of the last decade. With the advent of play-offs in the Magners League, a frontline Munster international could conceivably play as many 39 games this season. This clearly can’t be done.

Having so many Lions last summer – even if injury and suspension diluted their representation – was always liable to have an adverse effect. As events have transpired, injuries and illness have compounded these demands, and so it was that Munster had to wait until round six, against Leinster, to give seasonal competitive debuts to half a dozen players; five of them off the bench.

Hayes’s suspension coupled with the illness and injuries to have befallen Marcus Horan, Jerry Flannery and Tony Buckley have hit especially hard. Hence, when he came on at Edinburgh for the last quarter, Stephen Archer became Munster’s eighth frontrower and 36th player of the season in just eight games.

It’s hardly any wonder that their scrum problems have extended to the maul and the lineout, where Hayes’s influence especially has been sorely missed. Truly, the phenomenal Bull is only ever fully appreciated when he’s not there.

The departure of Paul McCarthy, Jerry Holland and Brian Hickey has undoubtedly diluted the Munster/Irishness of their coaching ticket, and a swathe of experienced Munster stalwarts also retired or were let go. It’s hard to believe their scrum would have suffered in the same manner over the last few weeks if Freddie Pucciariello and Frankie Sheahan were still there.

Forwards coach Laurie Fisher is copping some unfair flak given the ravages to their frontrow, although McCarthy has seemingly been missed as scrum coach. Seasoned observers also reckon Paul O’Connell and Donncha O’Callaghan could be a bit bulkier.

Behind all that, there’s the form of Ronan O’Gara which, coming hard on the heels of a non-vintage if valedictory Six Nations, a distressing Lions tour and the form of Johnny Sexton, has probably made him the focus of more debate than any other player in the country lately.

The change in his place-kicking technique doesn’t appear to have helped O’Gara’s confidence, and he almost seems to be trying too much – often with bad ball – while the midfield is still acclimatising to Jean de Villiers. But O’Gara is too mentally tough not to come through this current dip. Also, rumours of rifts and disharmony in the camp are so wide of the mark they belong in the Irish World Cup mill of 2007.

The core of this Munster team owe their province and their country nothing. Their durability and desire has been extraordinary. One seriously doubts their hunger has been diluted just yet, though it is fair to note that Horan, Flannery, Hayes, O’Callaghan, O’Connell (as of last week), Mick O’Driscoll, Alan Quinlan, David Wallace, Peter Stringer, O’Gara and Doug Howlett are all in their 30s.

A massive rebuilding job awaits and this isn’t helped by the Leinster academy (which provided seven of the 22 which were on duty for the trouncing of Munster four weeks ago) being about two or three years ahead of their own.

Perhaps, when times were good, Munster took their eye off the ball. But this happens when great teams grow old together, in any sport.

That said, you know that as long as the likes of O’Connell – an almost psychotically driven animal – O’Gara and the current crop are there, they won’t lack for effort in getting things right. And Tony McGahan and Fisher are smart men and good coaches too. Only last April, they were destroying the Ospreys 43-9 and were being hailed as still the best team in Europe. They’ve a few good games left in them yet. There was evidence enough of that in the comeback against Northampton.

It’s now that they need the support of their fans, starting next Saturday against a comparatively buoyant Ulster who, strictly on form, are entitled to start favourites. But if Munster can somehow sneak a win, and one imagines they’ll be sorely in the mood to do so, they could resume in December with their frontrow back in harness and the other pieces falling into shape for the seismic and pivotal back-to-back meeting with the in-form French champions Perpignan.

So, it could be that we are indeed witnessing the beginning of the end. But, one ventures, not just yet. Not this season.