It was yet another night to forget for Munster on Friday, as they were soundly beaten by interprovincial rivals Leinster in Limerick.
A sold-out crowd flocked to Thomond Park for the now-traditional Christmas fixture but the majority of the Limerick crowd will have left feeling glum after a bonus-point victory for the visitors.
Tries from Luke McGrath, Sam Prendergast, Josh van der Flier, and Caelan Doris saw Leinster run out 28-7, as Munster's woes this season continued on home soil.
The Munstermen could yet fall into the bottom half of the table this weekend, with just four wins from their opening nine games summing up their difficult start to the URC season.
With a permanent head coach yet to be found, it does not seem as though things will get easier anytime soon for Munster.
However, there have been some shining lights for them amid the doom and gloom this season. There have been a few standout performers in a red jersey this year, with Tom Farrell and Tom Ahern particularly impressing.
Despite Munster's humbling defeat to their bitter rivals on Friday, Stephen Ferris was adamant that the performance of try scorer Ahern was evidence of why he could be in Andy Farrell's thinking for the Six Nations.
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Stephen Ferris sings praises of Munster's Tom Ahern
Simon Zebo was full of praise for his fellow Munster man Tom Ahern, calling him the "Slim Reaper" for his ruthless efficiency despite his team's struggles against Leinster.
Ahern scored Munster's only try on the night and was particularly impressive in standing up to his counterpart Ryan Baird.
Do we have a game in Limerick...?pic.twitter.com/6hJs13wuxB
— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) December 27, 2024
Speaking on Premier Sports post-match, former Ireland international Stephen Ferris said that he felt Ahern had pushed his way into contention for Irish squads going forward.
I think he was one of Munster's best players tonight, he stood up.
Obviously that head-to-head with Ryan Baird...I think he probably edged that. Yes, he did stay out in the wider channels a bit but that's where he's most effective.
Andy Farrell will definitely like that type of player, especially if you're going to launch him off the bench at some stage.
Keep your eye on him over the next few weeks to see how he goes.
When pushed on what Ahern needed to do to fully push himself into Ireland contention, Ferris gave an intriguing answer on nailing down his position in the Munster pack.
He has to stay fit, he has to play regularly. He's sort of in and out of the second row...Ryan Baird was kind of that guy also.
You see Tadhg Beirne tonight in the second row for Munster but can play across the back row. It's just nailing down that position at 6 and playing there every single week.
Being more physical in defence...that's what you need. But he's got all the attributes.
There's a big future for him.
Of course, cementing the Munster number 6 jersey could be a tall order for Ahern given the presence of Peter O'Mahony in the squad.
Nonetheless, Tom Ahern has shown that he is a standout presence in this Munster team and, having been called up to Ireland training squads in recent years, it may not be long before he gets a shot at a matchday squad from Andy Farrell.
