MUNSTER PROP MARCUS Horan has defended the province in the face of growing talk of their demise.

Last weekend’s fifth successive defeat to Leinster in the Magners League clash at the Aviva Stadium has added to the talk of the two time Heineken Cup champions no longer being the team they once were.

However, despite the defeat to Leinster they remain top of the Magners League as they turn their attention to this weekend’s opening Heineken Cup clash with London Irish.

Munster are fourth favourites to win the competition and 33-year-old Horan insists that they remain a force, telling RTE:

We’ve been here before. We’ve had 10 years of it but still came back so I can’t see why we can’t come back from it again.

We are ageing. We’re all getting older but a lot of us are still playing some great rugby. There’s still great drive. There’s a great mix of young players as well. It’s always important to have a mix like that.

No matter what team you are, as the years go on people will always say that you’re getting too old. It’s an excuse that people will use. But the drive is definitely there. Guys are keen and it still means so much to them.

Meanwhile London Irish head coach Toby Booth has been singing the praises of the province, citing them as one of the greatest Heineken Cup teams ever, quoted on the BBC, he said:

It’s a fantastic opportunity from a fans’ perspective. They’ll love it because of the historical Irish connection. We’re going up against arguably one of the best Heineken Cup teams ever.

When everyone talks about Heineken Cup, the first two words out of their mouths are Toulouse and Munster. So we’re under no illusion of what’s in front of us.