[8] Scrum-half Nick McCarthy left to re-join his native province Leinster,[9] whilst prop James Cronin joined French club Biarritz, who had recently been promoted to the Top 14,[10] and hooker Rhys Marshall was released by the province and returned to New Zealand, where he joined North Harbour.
[18] Shannon scrum-half Aran Hehir joined the senior squad in late February 2022 to provide cover whilst Craig Casey, Ethan Coughlan and Conor Murray were away on international duty and Rowan Osborne was injured.
[20] Sports psychologist Caroline Currid, renowned in Ireland for her work with the Limerick hurlers who won back-to-back All-Ireland's in 2020 and 2021, joined the province's backroom team in a part-time role.
[22] Three additional players joined the academy in November 2021: lock Edwin Edogbo, fly-half Tony Butler and back-three Patrick Campbell.
[25][26] Munster opened their 2021–22 United Rugby Championship campaign with a bonus-point 42–17 win against the Sharks, one of the four new South African teams, on 25 September 2021.
Simon Zebo, making his return for the province, scored two tries, extending his club record to 62, with Gavin Coombes continuing his try-scoring exploits from the previous season with two tries of his own.
[27] Munster were in South Africa for rounds 6 and 7 of the United Rugby Championship, in which they were due to play the Bulls and the Lions, however, the emergence of the omicron variant of COVID-19 led to travel restrictions being implemented by UK and EU authorities, meaning the fixtures had to be postponed.
Former captain Donal Lenihan, writing in the Irish Examiner, said: "If Munster continue in the vein of the last two limp attacking efforts against Castres and Connacht, then you can forget about any prospect of breaking the trophy drought for another season,", whilst club legend Alan Quinlan described the performance against Connacht as "dreadful", before adding; "Look, you have to acknowledge there has been a lot of good in the last few years, I do want to say that.".
"[36] Munster forwards coach Graham Rowntree, speaking to the media ahead of the province's fixture against Ulster the following week, described the performance as "more than disappointing" and "very frustrating", but added that a series of clear-the-air meetings had been held,[37] saying "It can only be good to get it all out on the table and clear the air and people air some things.".
[38] In the reverse fixture against Castres in round 3 of the Champions Cup on 14 January 2022, Munster earned a 16–13 away win thanks to a 77th minute try from Gavin Coombes, converted by rookie fly-half Jack Crowley, who was faultless off the kicking tee in his first European start for the province.
[42] Needing to overturn a five-point deficit to advance in the competition, Munster welcomed Exeter to Thomond Park for the second leg of their last 16 tie one week later.
[43] Facing defending champions Toulouse, who knocked the province out of the previous season's tournament, in the quarter-final,[44] Munster began strongly with an 11th minute Alex Kendellen try, converted by Joey Carbery to lead 7–0, but Romain Ntamack hit back for Toulouse two minutes later with a try of his own, converted by Thomas Ramos, to level the scores.
The visitors were dominating the scrum and scored their second try in the 25th minute when Matthis Lebel touched down, with Ramos again converting to give Toulouse a 14–7 lead.
However, Munster struck back with a Keith Earls try just before half-time which Carbery converted to leave the scores level heading into the break.
[45] A 35–25 defeat away to Leinster in round 18 of the 2021–22 United Rugby Championship meant that Munster finished sixth in the league overall, and third in the Irish Shield,[46] and the province headed north to face Ulster in the quarter-finals on 3 June 2022, but Munster lost 36–17 to bring the curtain down on their 2021–22 season, as well as Johann van Graan's tenure as head coach.
(S) : winner of the Regional Shield and qualified for the 2022–23 European Rugby Champions Cup; Munster were ranked second out of the eight United Rugby Championship teams that qualified for the 2021–22 Champions Cup, owing to their runners-up position after defeat against Leinster in the 2021 Pro14 Grand Final,[54] and were seeded in tier one for the pool stage draw.