![]() I’ve been on both sides of that fence, and I much preferred being confident that I would be in the coach’s plans to having my fingers crossed from the fringes in 2003.įour years later I earned my spot because Leinster had begun to win and were beginning to close the gap on Ireland’s most successful province at the time, Munster. Players would have found themselves in one of two categories in terms of the Rugby World Cup pecking order, where you know the national coach is going to be in touch or you are hoping that he will be. Ireland’s Test match season finished up with the Grand Slam finale in March, but Andy Farrell and his coaches will have been carefully scrutinising player performances and a first inkling of their thoughts was in the extended squad released on Tuesday afternoon. Munster have coveted a trophy for so long, in many ways that was the easy part, as the hard work of developing the next generation of talent starts straight away with renewed expectation and promise. It is disappointing that he is leaving now, but perhaps they got the best out of him, and Alex Nankivell will bring a new dimension next season. The arrival of Alex Nankivell will bring a new dimension to Munster's play. Fekitoa, the former All Black, belatedly settled into the Munster environment and revealed his talent as part of a dangerous 10-12-13 axis. Winning opens a broader pathway and Munster should get greater representation in personnel terms.įrom a Munster perspective Jack Crowley, Antoine Frisch, Jean Kleyn, John Hodnett, Calvin Nash and Malakai Fekitoa stood up and were counted when it mattered most in the big games. ![]() There are reflected kudos as provincial coaches watch their players graduate to the Ireland squad. The impact of quality coaching, focused on skills, must be extremely satisfying for the staff and players. While I’ll probably never go as far as to say I supported a Munster win, I am delighted that they won. They need to build on what they have won, having taken time to lay solid foundations. Munster’s growth path over the season leaves them with a different imperative when they return after the summer break. Jacques Nienaber will break any ‘group think’ that might have developed, but without external recruitment it’s hard to see Leinster successfully filling the gaps on the roster to enable them to prevail outright in Europe. Leinster’s review will start internally but perhaps their answers lie outside of the environment. Leo Cullen knows that Leinster can’t stand still for a second in style or substance and that in places like Toulon, Toulouse and Racing 92 under Stuart Lancaster, they will have been studying the notes on La Rochelle’s blueprint for success. Leinster were light in back three options last season and the departure of the experienced Dave Kearney renders those resources translucent. I have a suspicion which one may prove more difficult. Sam Prendergast will hopefully get some game time while the World Cup unfurls in France and will not only have to sidestep tacklers but Sexton comparisons. Sam Prendergast will get plenty of exposure for Leinster during the World Cup. Leinster’s disappointment will be the most acute as having largely cut a swathe through the opposition for the past two seasons both in Europe and the URC, they came up short in the four games that mattered, two Champions Cup finals and two URC semi-finals. Ulster must figure out why performance levels in the latter part of the season fell off a cliff and how they will future-proof against a repeat. Connacht will look forward as the Andy Friend era is replaced by that of Pete Wilkins with the addition of some new faces out west, both in coaching and in terms of the roster. The other Irish provinces will look on in envy. Munster head coach Graham Rowntree has overseen a remarkable progression from a squad that stuttered and stumbled its way through the first half a dozen games of the season to one that demonstrated tremendous resolve and character to eke out a series of big wins on the road en route to a URC triumph in South Africa. ![]() Those concerns only matter when you lose. A thoroughly merited victory could have been more emphatic had they managed to take a couple more first half try-scoring chances. To the victor the spoils and a summer full of contentment as the Munster coaches and players get to bask in the sunshine of a first piece of silverware in 12 years. ![]()
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