“Big boots to fill. Respect his decision,” said the Munster head coach. “You know, he's been great for this club, an icon of this club. I respect the fact you want to step down as captain, hand the baton on to someone else and help that person.

"Who that captain will be, we will name in due course. I'm not being rushed into that. We've got a strong leadership group at the club, which he will still be part of and will drive on. I'm sure he'll be brilliant for the next man, won't he?

"Just his presence. His presence is just incredible and whoever that next man, various options there, Pete will look after him, I know he will. He's (made) a nice seamless transition. I respect his decision.” 

Jack O’Donoghue first led the team out five years ago at the age of just 24 and he has captained the side three times this season already. O’Mahony did the honours against the Stormers while Diarmuid Barron was skipper away to Ulster and Leinster.

Others, from Conor Murray to Tadhg Beirne, Jack Crowley and Jean Kleyn, have been mentioned in the course of various discussions and articles but Rowntree was resolute in playing schtum after Saturday’s game at the Aviva Stadium.

“I'll be the first head coach in 10 years at the club who has had to name a captain so I'm not rushing that.” 

O’Mahony and O’Donoghue sat out that five-point URC defeat to Leinster and, while there is no definitive update being shared on the pair, Rowntree did at least reveal that it will be “weeks not months” in terms of their recoveries.

That’s good news considering the roll call of fixtures coming fast down the line. Glasgow visit Cork on Friday, then it's into Champions Cup detail at home to Bayonne and away to Exeter before two interpos against Leinster and Connacht.

Rowntree cut anything but a dejected figure after the weekend’s business and made the point that his side, devoid of some key men, came very close to claiming a win against a Leinster team stacked with 15 internationals in their starting line-up.

If that made them superior on paper then the performance of openside John Hodnett, a 24-year old yet to be capped, demonstrated why the visitors were able to discommode their hosts in such a manner on the night.

His 16 tackles was more than any Munster player, he carried his share of ball into the blue line and there was a superb jackal that killed one Leinster push into their ‘22’ at the end of the third quarter when there was just one point between the teams.

Andy Farrell, looking on from the stands, must have been impressed.

“You better ask Andy Farrell,” said Rowntree. “He’s been great for us and he really came of age last season. Very dependable. Good on the edges again, we saw that in [May’s URC] final, the try he took in Cape Town. But his ground work is very good as well.

“He’s a groundhog seven over the ball, good low chop tackle, but he’s really matured and he gives quite a calming influence to the group which belies his age, so I’m delighted with how he’s going. There’s a few good backrowers nationally, it’s a very competitive position.”