Rob Penney - new Munster coach

Ranelite

Munster today announced the appointment of New Zealander Rob Penney as Head Coach, subject to him securing a valid work permit.

Penney has been Head Coach of Canterbury since 2006, and last season took them to their fourth straight ITM Cup national provincial title. He also has Super Rugby coaching experience with the Crusaders where he was assistant coach in 2005 when they won the Super 12 title and he has maintained his involvement with the Crusaders as Development Squad Coach.

A former Canterbury Academy Manager, Penney will coach the defending World Champion New Zealand Under 20 sideduring next month’s IRB Junior World Championshipin South Africa,and he is expected to arrive in Munster in mid July for the start of a two year contract.

Anthony Foley will continue on as Forwards Coach while expected change in the rest of the management team will be finalised following consultation with the new Head Coach.

Commenting on the appointment Munster CEO Garrett Fitzgerald said, " We conducted a thorough search to find a replacement for Tony McGahan and were delighted with the calibre of the candidates. Rob Penney's record speaks for itself and we look forward to welcoming him to Munster.”

Canterbury Rugby Football Union CEO Hamish Riach said, “Rob has been a great servant for Canterbury rugby. We are very sorry to lose a talented coach, but this is a fantastic opportunity for him and we wish him all the best.”

ray jay

http://www.munsterrugby.ie/news/10444.php

.ak

Wow, so it's Blues vs Reds only in Ireland!

Larbre34

No doubt controversial but very interesting.

As a Leinster man I can understand what the feelings will be initially after the appointment, but if they have unearthed another Joe Schmidt then good luck to them. Foley will continue to progress within the rebuild and get his chance down the line

Although a Kiwi is replacing and Aussie in this case, it shows again what a crisis there is at the top level of coaching in Ireland, and Leinster are the worst offenders. 3 Kiwis as head coaches, another multitude of SANZARs on the provincial staffs, the former Irish players who are getting into coaching are working way down the pecking order at development level and showing no signs of progress, Foley apart.

wicklowdub

Thats a fairly serious appointment.

.ak

Larbre34 wrote: »

No doubt controversial but very interesting.

As a Leinster man I can understand what the feelings will be initially after the appointment, but if they have unearthed another Joe Schmidt then good luck to them. Foley will continue to progress within the rebuild and get his chance down the line

Although a Kiwi is replacing and Aussie in this case, it shows again what a crisis there is at the top level of coaching in Ireland, and Leinster are the worst offenders. 3 Kiwis as head coaches, another multitude of SANZARs on the provincial staffs, the former Irish players who are getting into coaching are working way down the pecking order at development level and showing no signs of progress, Foley apart.

It doesn't bother me. Because we shouldn't have Irish coaches just because they're Irish. Ireland is hardly known for producing great coaches. The only way you'll get a good developing coach is for the Foleys and the Dempseys to work with the Schmidts and the Pennys.

Brian

It's Penney. Seriously, it's in the article you copied and pasted.

PS. It's Peter O'Mahony, as well, not O'Mahoney.

tolosenc

Larbre34 wrote: »

if they have unearthed another Joe Schmidt then good luck to them.

There's only 1 Joe Schmidt.

Otacon

tolosenc wrote: »

There's only 1 Joe Schmidt.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Schmidt

Clegg

I think Penney will be a very good appointment for Munster but he's not really that similar to Schmidt.

Penney is a forwards coach while Schmidts area of expertise is in the backs.

justsomebloke

.ak wrote: »

Ireland is hardly known for producing great coaches.

Is this not something that we should looking into though. It's one thing to say it doesn't matter where the coach comes from in respect to the big jobs cause there is the budget there to bring them but does the lack of good coaches not indicate that the level of coaching at lower levels isn't up to the standard it could be and this may be hampering us from generating more players and better players further down the line?

its_phil

Best appointment from the shortlist. Just a bit too early for Foley. He'll learn from Penney and be ready for the top job in a few years

thomond2006

Brian wrote: »

It's Penney. Seriously, it's in the article you copied and pasted.

PS. It's Peter O'Mahony, as well, not O'Mahoney.

justsomebloke

thomond2006 wrote: »

http://i3.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/007/508/watch-out-we-got-a-badass-over-here-meme.png

I was thinking the same myself

profitius

Coaching in Ireland is still miles behind NZ's level. Coaching is so important to player development too so I think its the one area where we should look abroad.

Not only do these coaches improve the players but they're passing on their knowledge to the Irish coaches and players who will be future coaches. Anthony Foley will benefit from Penneys arrival. I've little doubt about that.

Penney is a good appointment but we also need a top class backs coach now. Penney would know one or two of those so it would be good if he can bring one over from NZ.

rrpc

Larbre34 wrote: »

No doubt controversial but very interesting.

As a Leinster man I can understand what the feelings will be initially after the appointment, but if they have unearthed another Joe Schmidt then good luck to them. Foley will continue to progress within the rebuild and get his chance down the line

Although a Kiwi is replacing and Aussie in this case, it shows again what a crisis there is at the top level of coaching in Ireland, and Leinster are the worst offenders. 3 Kiwis as head coaches, another multitude of SANZARs on the provincial staffs, the former Irish players who are getting into coaching are working way down the pecking order at development level and showing no signs of progress, Foley apart.

Until Irish coaches go abroad and especially the SH for experience, coaches here will always be a step below the standard required imo.

cb_

I think you would struggle to have had a better appointment. I'm not worried at all about him being a forwards coach. Gatland is a forwards coach and Wales don't seem to struggle for attacking moves. By all accounts Penney's sides play very attractive rugby, and I'd back him to get the Back's coach appointment right. He's the one I wanted from as soon as I heard we were interviewing him. As far as the comments about Irish coaches go, I couldn't care less. This is not a charity and we're seeing where appointing Irish coaches without the necessary knowledge gets us with the National team. Bringing in top quality international coaches brings knowledge to the game here and will allow Irish coaches to learn; if one of them wants to progress then they need to come through the ranks and prove that they are at least of similar calibre to those currently in situ. In fairness Foley is putting his hand up in this regard, although I don't think he's ready for a top job yet. He will be, but I rate Penney so highly that I expect the Munster job may not be available for several years yet...

GerM

cb_ wrote: »

Gatland is a forwards coach and Wales don't seem to struggle for attacking moves

You tend not to struggle for backs moves (nor require them) when you have four Panzer tanks taking the ball up. Wales rely on pace and power more than clever backline moves and slick passing.

PhatPiggins

Ranelite wrote: »

Canterbury Rugby Football Union CEO Hamish Riach said, “Rob has been a great servant for Canterbury rugby. We are very sorry to lose a talented coach, but this is a fantastic opportunity for him and we wish him all the best.”

What I like most about that article is that Hamish Riach actually acknowledges that taking the Munster job is a fantastic opportunity for Penny. Unlike that plank Andrew Maddock ceo of Counties Manukau who questioned if Umaga taking the Munster (as head coach) would be a step up for him :mad:

Benny Cake

Delighted with the appointment, best scenario from the options that were available. Foley will learn allot from a highly rated coach like Penney. The key piece for me in the press release is:

Anthony Foley will continue on as Forwards Coach while expected change in the rest of the management team will be finalised following consultation with the new Head Coach.

Hopefully he will bring in an experienced team with particular emphasis on a new backs coach....

It will be an interesting few months for Munster fans *

*admittedly, not as interesting as it will be for Leinster/Ulster fans!

.ak

justsomebloke wrote: »

Is this not something that we should looking into though. It's one thing to say it doesn't matter where the coach comes from in respect to the big jobs cause there is the budget there to bring them but does the lack of good coaches not indicate that the level of coaching at lower levels isn't up to the standard it could be and this may be hampering us from generating more players and better players further down the line?

Oh, don't get me wrong, I want to see Irish coaches develop. I just think the idea of not importing previously proven international coaches is a case of cutting off the nose in spite of the face.

It's a seperate issue that the IRFU need to address.

Personally though I think players and lower level coaches will be subconsciously learning from Schmidt and co in Leinster and it wouldn't surprise me to see the fruits of that learning enviroment being produced somewhere in the future.

But I agree, it's probably something that should be more official and perhaps there should be some sort of Coach Development plan put in place.

CIARAN_BOYLE

Wayne Smith gave out about his current job as assistant coach with the chiefs as he spends so much time mentoring coaches within the wider chiefs franchise. We might need someone to come in who is willing to mentor coaches within the wider Munster province when looking at assistants.

I've heard rumours on Costello as backs coach.

Brewster

Three NZ coaches in charge of Munster, Ulster and Leinster....

artvandelay48

I am really surprised by this appointment tbh. The perceived wisdom seems to be (1) that Foley is about two years away from being ready for the Munster job and (2) Munster really want Foley as their coach. So, if Penney is successful, he's not going to walk away from the Munster job to let Foley take over. He'll be there for at least 4 seasons. Will Foley wait 4 years for the job?

I reckon they should've bit the bullet and gone with Foley and asked him to hire a backs coach of his choosing but one with a proven track record of attacking rugby.

Benny Cake

Brewster wrote: »

Three NZ coaches in charge of Munster, Ulster and Leinster....

And............

errlloyd

I'm not too worried about the lack of Irish coaches, I think rugby has been a pro sport with a pro set up for years in New Zealand so they're experienced with taking the sport very seriously from a management level. Give Ireland a couple of years to catch up.

Secondly I think Ireland does have highly respected coaches. Conor O Shea, Michael Bradley, Eddie O Sullivan and even Declan Kidney are well respected world wide. Nothing to worry about.

Cpt_Blackbeard

Some kind words about our new overlord on planetrugby here. Would really put a smile on your face. We could really do with a bit of good fortune.

Zzippy

Larbre34 wrote: »

the former Irish players who are getting into coaching are working way down the pecking order at development level and showing no signs of progress, Foley apart.

Eric Elwood. Michael Bradley. Conor O'Shea.

irishbucsfan

Zzippy wrote: »

Larbre34 wrote: »

the former Irish players who are getting into coaching are working way down the pecking order at development level and showing no signs of progress, Foley apart.

Eric Elwood. Michael Bradley. Conor O'Shea.

Mark McCall, Jeremy Davidson

danthefan

The NZers on PR would rate Penney very highly, apparently there's politics involved in him not getting a S15 job. I think this will work out very well for Munster.

AwayWithFaries

He's a brilliant coach. Can't wait to see what he does with Munster. Good times ahead I feel!

heybaby

Brewster wrote: »

Three NZ coaches in charge of Munster, Ulster and Leinster....

Three coaches from the best rugby playing country on the planet. Yes its a comment on the ack of quality irish coaches out there but that, I think is understandable. Im all for having the kiwi influence in the irish game, what I would like to see is the emphasis by these coaches on bringing through young irish players.

padraig.od

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

Wayne Smith gave out about his current job as assistant coach with the chiefs as he spends so much time mentoring coaches within the wider chiefs franchise. We might need someone to come in who is willing to mentor coaches within the wider Munster province when looking at assistants.

I've heard rumours on Costello as backs coach.

Who is that? Is big Vic switching sides?

ray jay

artvandelay48 wrote: »

So, if Penney is successful, he's not going to walk away from the Munster job to let Foley take over. He'll be there for at least 4 seasons. Will Foley wait 4 years for the job?

It's a 2 year contract, if Munster want to appoint Foley head coach at that stage there's nothing to stop them from doing so.

irishbucsfan

padraig.od wrote: »

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

Wayne Smith gave out about his current job as assistant coach with the chiefs as he spends so much time mentoring coaches within the wider chiefs franchise. We might need someone to come in who is willing to mentor coaches within the wider Munster province when looking at assistants.

I've heard rumours on Costello as backs coach.

Who is that? Is big Vic switching sides?

Ian Costello. Just won the B&I Cup

ToadVine

Guys, apologies for the stupid question, but which would be seen as the better job ... coaching a top S15 side, or coaching a top Heineken Cup side?

theKramer

ToadVine wrote: »

Guys, apologies for the stupid question, but which would be seen as the better job ... coaching a top S15 side, or coaching a top Heineken Cup side?

In NZ, it would be coaching an S15 side. Apparently its almost impossible to be considered for the All-Blacks if you have not coached an S15 side...

theKramer

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Ian Costello. Just won the B&I Cup

Is he a former Cork Con coach, or am I mixing up names??

dtpc191991

This could be massive for Ireland as well. If he brings a more backs orientated game to Munster it could lead to the national side actually playing to its potential.

ongarite

Some very positive comments on that forum about him.
Particularly interesting is the comment that he will/can change the style of rugby that his teams play depending on the type of players available.

Tox56

Probably has been said already but the arrival of Laulala to Munster will be interesting, as he played at Canterbury under Penney for a few years, and will presumably be a favourite of his.

Flincher

I'm delighted with this news. He also has a good record in developing young players. McGahan definitely got the ball rolling over the last 15 months. There is the guts of an excellent young pack between Kilcoyne, Sherry, Archer, Foley/Hayes, Nagle, O'Callaghan, O'Mahony, Butler.

If he can add the best qualities of those players to what is there already, and find a way to use the running games of Murray and Keatley with the creativity of Laulala, the physicality of Downey, the pace of Earls, O'Dea, Zebo, Jones - he has a lot of options in that squad, and hopefully he is the man to bring the best of out them.

I wonder will Borlase be kept on for an extra year. He started at tighthead for Penney in recent years. If Penney rates him, then it might be worth keeping him on.

He's also worked with Laulala before, and Laulala and a few nice words for him on twitter this morning.

I'm really looking forward to Munster rugby again after this. That q/f was a massive kick in the stones, but I'm buzzing again.

[Jackass]

I think he is the best option from the 3 coaches in the running for the job.

irishbucsfan

I wonder what this will mean for ROG? Will a new coach want to look forward a bit further?

And will Earls' dream of being a regular 13 be affected by this?

Neil3030

Very best of luck to him, tough job ahead.

Monty Burnz

Larbre34 wrote: »

the former Irish players who are getting into coaching are working way down the pecking order at development level and showing no signs of progress, Foley apart.

Zzippy wrote: »

Eric Elwood. Michael Bradley. Conor O'Shea.

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Mark McCall, Jeremy Davidson

George Hook...

Cpt_Blackbeard

irishbucsfan wrote: »

I wonder what this will mean for ROG? Will a new coach want to look forward a bit further?

And will Earls' dream of being a regular 13 be affected by this?

If the national coach wants Earls at 13, he will be played there.

Personally, I think that we should stick with Earls in the centre. We have some promising wings coming through, and Earls has shown massive improvement at 13 this year. Laulala may end up 12, or relegated to the bench.

Tox56

Cpt_Blackbeard wrote: »

If the national coach wants Earls at 13, he will be played there.

Personally, I think that we should stick with Earls in the centre. We have some promising wings coming through, and Earls has shown massive improvement at 13 this year. Laulala may end up 12, or relegated to the bench.

I just can't see it that every time both Laulala and Earls are fit and available, that Laulala is put on the bench, and putting him in 12 means Downey is on the bench (which wouldn't be a great return on investment). I guess they will just see how the combinations work.

profitius

ongarite wrote: »

Some very positive comments on that forum about him.
Particularly interesting is the comment that he will/can change the style of rugby that his teams play depending on the type of players available.

That impressed me too. He might also know a few top backs coaches.

As someone else mentioned, it's good for Ireland too if the next generation of Munster players have top class coaching.

What he does about the academy - if anything - is also something to watch out for. Canterbury are the world leaders in developing players so he might have ways of improving how things work. I presume that was also discussed in the interview.

MugMugs

Anybody know if Foley is being used with Penney? Have the coaching staff been named?

jm08

profitius wrote: »

That impressed me too. He might also know a few top backs coaches.

As someone else mentioned, it's good for Ireland too if the next generation of Munster players have top class coaching.

What he does about the academy - if anything - is also something to watch out for. Canterbury are the world leaders in developing players so he might have ways of improving how things work. I presume that was also discussed in the interview.

He is also a coach in Canterbury/Crusaders International High Performance Unit (coaching future coaches and players)

http://www.ihpu.canterburyrugby.co.nz/who-will-i-train-with/forward-coaches/27-rob-penney