MUNSTER UNVEILED THEIR new coaching set-up down at University of Limerick, on Wednesday, and there were lots of familiar faces.
I played for many years with Mick O’Driscoll, Jerry Flannery and Brian Walsh, who along with Ian Costello, make up the new team under head coach Anthony Foley. They would have had their first full coaching meeting on Wednesday and I am sure the talk will be about getting back to the Munster way, and style of play.
The advantage of the Munster-centric appointments is that it cuts down any settling in period. Rob Penney and Simon Mannix will have had to learn about players and systems when they first arrived, in 2012, but Foley can hit the ground running. His guys have vast knowledge of the area, the clubs and players. They will have their feelers out and Foley will not have to play catch-up.
Foley will be fairly hands on with the forwards, I imagine. He is very much a players’ coach and that is no harm. Penney himself took a lot of those responsibilities on, up front. When it comes to the Munster backline, I would agree with the comments [by Shane Horgan and Keith Wood among others] that the tactics were often stifling.
There were no targets for the backs to hit or running lines to execute. It was all about width; going back and forth. Munster’s game-plan in so many matches was less about go forward ball and more about that east to west play. That puts a lot of pressure on a backline because top class defences will press up and cut down the space to run into.
Foley will look to revert to that north-south style; using the forwards to get you on the front foot. Getting a yard or two ahead of the gainline makes a massive difference and boosts the backline’s confidence.
Looking back on Penney’s two years, I would first have to commend the players for the attitude in the bigger games. It was very much player driven, that return to the Munster values, in those matches. It was in the not so big games, where Munster tried to implement a width-focused style, where you would get disheartened.
In those lesser games, it was very frustrating to watch Munster and see, over two seasons, no signs of progress. When you’re up for a match, you’ll make those yards regardless but you could see certain players struggled with the style in league and [Heineken Cup] pool games.
You could not fault the attitude of the players in the European matches against Harlequins, Clermont, Toulon and Toulouse. That was very often when there was a stronger deck to chose from and leaders like Paul O’Connell and James Coughlan, and Conor Murray of late, took it upon themselves to ensure Munster were driving forward.
Brian Walsh, or Squeaky, is a laid-back guy with a vast amount of coaching experience with Cork Con. He had it so easy back there, during his playing days at fullback, you could almost picture him leaning against the post, smoking a fag. He is as easy-going a character as Foley so should fit in seamlessly with the set-up.
Jerry Flannery is coming back as scrum coach and will relish the challenge. He is the type of guy who, if he sets his mind to something, will come back with a PhD in it. He will be eager to get in there and work closely with lads like BJ Botha and Damien Varley. Being over at Arsenal really opened his eyes to the training techniques on offer. He did find, however, that rugby players often push themselves more in training than the soccer lads.
In fairness to Penney, he brought on a number of young players and gave them the chance to experience some big matches. That will stand to the club. There will be changes to the playing staff next season, too, with Tyler Bleyendaal, Andrew Smith and Robin Copeland coming in. Bleyendaal often plays out-half so I’m sure that might ruffle the feathers of JJ Hanrahan and Ian Keatley. That is no bad thing. From week one, Foley and his coaching staff will need to drive home that this is a fresh start; every jersey, every position is up for grabs.
My end of season review
Best game: I would be tempted to go for the quarter final win over Toulouse but they were almost out of it, in attitude and approach, after Munster’s great start. In terms of performance, I would go for the away win over Perpignan when JJ got over for that last-minute try.
Worst game: It is hard for me to say here as I didn’t see the game live, but the defeat to Ulster at Thomond Park was damaging, heading into the Pro12 semi final with Glasgow. Munster started the Heineken Cup badly, losing away to Edinburgh, but their performance was not too worrying and the Scots capitalised on a couple of unfortunate mistakes.
Best player: Conor Murray. I remember when he first arrived in the squad; it was like he had been there 15 years already. He hit the ground running and has never looked back. He has been fantastic this season, does more than his share of tackling and it is his attitude that I respect most. Peter O’Mahony had a fine season for Munster and Ireland and James Coughlan, as always, was consistency and commitment personified.
Room to improve: As covered above, there will be a noticeable change in tactics next season. What I would like to see is a marked increase in skill levels. Leinster have such high skill levels across the board. Munster’s attitude has always been that their drive, and the old values, will see them through in big games but marrying that to an improvement in skills could make all the difference next season.
@wa22y played 197 times for Munster, won 72 Test caps with Ireland and appeared in three Tests with The British and Irish Lions. He runs @MrSimmsCrescent Olde Sweet Shoppe at the Crescent Shopping Centre.
I’m still finding it harder and harder to accept Munster’s new coaching team at the moment. Many of the quotes coming out, admittedly from former Munster employees, seem to lean towards undermining Rob Penney’s time at the club and dramatically changing their playing style. I think Penney deserves a little more respect for his achievements than he is getting.
Its also worrying that the players seemingly believe that over-riding the coaches game-plan in key games was behind the success of the province in recent years. Penney will no doubt have been very keen to create a culture of empowering the players to make their own decisions but I don’t hear much about players taking the responsibility that comes with it.
The picture painted at the moment seems less the dawn of a new era than a regression to an earlier one.I would rather hear interviews from the new coaching team at this stage because the press insofar has been largely negative.
Agree 100%. Really worried with the lack of top level experience. Munster badly need to strength their bench, particularly at number 9. The new players coming in should take care of numbers 10, 12 and 13 giving us strong backs on the bench.
Thanks Sean. Munster would definitely benefit from strengthening in the positions you’ve mentioned, particularly at 9 where the direction and speed of the game can be influenced. Duncan Williams is a good passer of the ball but I feel that he doesn’t challenge the defence enough at rucks.
I don’t think Munster need a star signing so much as someone who will offer something different to Murray. If there is one part of Murray’s game he sometimes neglects its quick decision making. If Munster could find someone who injects more pace into a game off the bench it would help them massively. Like Stringer!
Agree too. Was excited when the put Foley in charge but this week’s appointments pulled the rug out there. Hope I am proved wrong or another proven backs coach joins.
Completely agree. Penney wasn’t voted Rabo coach of the year by fellow pros for nothing. Wallace’s comments are laughable, he’s implying Paul O’Connell and co went out and conspired to play a completely different game plan in the big games to what Penney had set them up to play. Nonsense. Of course you play a tighter, more cautious game against the best teams in world rugby. Throw the ball around recklessly and you will be torn apart.
Just because Penney gave his players remit to attempt a more expansive, attacking style of play against the weaker, limited teams and the backline failed repeatedly to deliver does not mean he failed. He was dead right to encourage the improvement of clinical execution. To say ‘ah well we dont have the players for that sort of game, we may aswel go with the oul ball up the jumper plan every phase of every game’ is to be completely defeatist and negative, not only to the fans but to the players development themselves and to the Irish national team. After all, this years 6 Nations success was earned through clinical execution of each of the core skills at an extremely high intensity. It is usually the same people who lambast Penney for trying to implement this at provincial level that then go and moan that there are not enough Munster faces in the Irish team.
Blaming the coach for a lack of basic backline skills …
More blaming the coach for not giving the back line a gameplay that allowed them to utilise their skills effectively! He’s spot on in a lot of regards!
Yes and Fla must have picked up a lot about the new scrummaging laws from Otzil
In fairness Fla was only gone for a year and he was broadening his experience in different training arenas. I’d imagine he’s bringing a lot to the table.
I completely agree. I think appointing an ” old boys” Club to the coaching ticket with a bunch of guys who are known personally by the current players is a disaster waiting to happen. Foley needed a couple of really experienced coaches working with him that he could maybe lean on a little if times get tough. I thought missing out on Eddie o sullivan as a backs coach wasn’t great decision making…..
Blaming the coach for the system…. Which almost every commentator and journalist in the country has already picked up on. Good article, sums up about every Munster supporters frustrations this year. Looking forward to seeing Bleyendaal and Smith especially, a developing Andrew Conway and possibly Zebo at 15, I can’t see Copeland pushing past Chuck or Cj. Roll on the new season.
As a Leinster fan it’s worrying because there’s a serious core to the team and if they can get the right gameplay to balance the play a little better they could be about to break through with a really world class team!
The old school plan was pretty successful, if that brings silverware who cares what other people outside of Munster think. Just because Brian Walsh is a native he seems to be written off already. I think we will have a good season next year and i also believe we have seen the end of these horrendous performances following big European matches. Can’t see foley standing for that sort of unprofessionalism
Rob Penney arguably has been munsters best coach if the pro era. He massively over achieved with a majority of average players. The disrepect been shown to him is disgraceful. With the same group of players Munster would be I’m the doldrums now if kidney was In charge
The main positive I think about the new coaching staff is that they are all ex-Munster players. This I think will make them want to succeed even more because they are Munster men with a real passion for their team. The same will hopefully apply with Leo Cullen and Leinster.
Massive Munster fan,I’m little skeptical with foleys back room staff,my biggest fear that we’d go back to “old skool” style of pack orientated stick up jumper etc,game has changed to S.hemipshere style with forwards just as skillful as backs & expansive style of play in which penny was trying to do,I feel we where caught in few key positions in backs to help that system develop & grow more!
Not trying to be negative nelly,I wish foley well & I hope he proves me wrong but,I’m worried from what seen so far!!
Does this situation remind anyone else of the famed Class of ’92 with Man United? I’m not saying Rob Penney is a David Moyes but I can just see a lot of parallels between the two scenarios: Namely a very vocal golden generation of retired players discussing how the team should play the ‘Munster way’ and seemingly undermining a coach in a transition phase. And I can certainly see the romanticism in the appeal of player legends like Flannery and O’Driscoll being put on the coaching ticket, but I just hope it doesn’t have the effect of crippling this new generation of Munster players. We’re constantly hearing of current players speaking of the need to ‘escape the shadow’ of the 06 and 08 H Cup winning team. Going forward I hope that the history of the club spurs them on rather then puts them under excessive pressure. This is a new team, with its own unique strengths, and they shouldn’t worry about playing the ‘Munster way’. Just go out there and perform to the best of your ability and play with pride in the jersey.
Lets wait and see– consistency next season is all I truly hope … look at ulster. .a golden generation over the last 3 years and ended up with nothing ..
Am not overly confident ahead of next season. As earlier hinted at by other posters, the old boys network club is alive and well. Rob Penny is a man who has his own convictions and beliefs on how the game should be played. Granted, Simon Mannix didn’t bring too much to the party, but that was nothing that couldn’t be remedied with a new appointment in that position.
I hope to Alf that I am wrong, but next year is going to be a struggle. If Leinster get motoring any bit and Ulster actually believe in themselves, never mind Connacht with their new signings, we could be in trouble.
I would love to see munster go back to playing like we did in 06 and 08, but the fact of the matter is that we had a world class ten. O’ Gara’s tactical kicking was a cornerstone of the game plan. This took the emphasis away from skill levels going forward and put it on strength of defense and our ability to turn over ball.
A key part of Penney’s job was to handle the loss of ROG, this meant that instead kicking and chasing and putting teams under pressure, we had to run the ball up the pitch. Most of the players in the set up had the skill level to execute this style, and we have a lions player on each wing. So in theory this was doable, but there was a key link missing. The distribution levels at 12. Downeys’s skill level is understably, that of a crash it up 12. This limits our backlines options. We essentially have to skip 12 if we want to go wide. The pressure this puts on 10 is and the predictability it adds to the backline is fundamental to our subdued attacking prowess and our failure to give our dangerman opportunities.
So, all else being constant, reverting to the ‘old ways’ will not work. We cannot combine an outhalf whose primary asset is his attacking with ball in hand (both keatley and hanrahan), with a 12 whose skills are limited. We either continue with Penney’s method of running the ball up the pitch in which case (bleyendall/hanrahn in 12 might do the trick and finally utilise zebo and earls) or we revert to the ‘old ways’ in which case keatley, hanrahan or bleyendall must step up (and we utilise dougall’s turnover ability and the choke tackle).
Penney made a great job of rebuilding the Munster pack. Trouble was that he tried to implement a no. 8′s idea of what Canterbury backplay was. It’s ironic that Bleyendaal is coming in and Downey leaving when they might switch away from a gameplan that would suit Bleyendaal to one more suited to what Downey offers
I find it a wee bit funny that beating a relegated side by a last minute try is held up as a better performance than the QF or SF, or even Leinster in Thomond at the start of the season.
Realistically, that Munster group was poor and they made tough work of it! (Relegated, 8th and 9th in their leagues)
I would have liked to see foley cut his teeth elsewhere first in the Head coaches job, but maybe he’s a bit cheaper as he is unproven, the best of luck to him, shrewd operator by all accounts, and we seem to be replacing an experienced (but technically poor) backs coach with an inexperienced one, in the area of the field where we have most problems. …. Risky decision.
If it doesn’t go any better than penny’s tenure in the first season then what happens?
This is all the worst stuff about Ireland. And I was beginning to like the new look progressive Munster. Back to the same old clientilist rubbish. I’d rather be associated with the perceived arrogance or poshness over this kind of horrible knuckle dragging back scratching carry on any day! Can anyone answer me this: what squad had Munster when Penney arrived in?