Billy Holland's insight into Munster's Italian trip during Covid-19 pandemic

THE Munster Rugby team is in Italy this weekend to face Benetton Rugby in a re-arranged Guinness PRO14 fixture at Stadio Monigo, Saturday, 5pm, Irish time.

Munster's long-serving second-row Billy Holland provided an insight this week into what the players' routine will be like when travelling abroad during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Holland admitted Munster, as an elite sports team, were fortunate to be able to travel abroad to play competitive fixtures.

Holland explained: "We're very privileged to be able to travel abroad. We'll go over on a charter plane, we're tested during the week, we are in a bubble when we travel. We are in a bubble when we travel, we go from a bus where the bus driver has been tested.

"We're on a plane that's a charter, straight onto another bus into a hotel. You're not allowed to leave the hotel.

"You're in a room to yourself, there's masks at all times, hand sanitiser. You're going through airports that are dead, nobody in them, there hasn't been a flight in two weeks.

"It is surreal. When we went up to Belfast, the hotel opened just for us for the day so we could go there. So we're in an incredibly privileged position to be able to travel and do those things.

"It really is crazy to think that we're going to Italy this weekend and most people can't go for a walk down the cliffs or anything like that. We're very lucky."