Munster Team Talk Thread - Beirne After Reading

I would say we are about to enter a period of a few years where our regular internationals will be winding down and will need to be replaced

Stander(already retired), Kilcoyne (32), O'Mahony (32), Conor Murray (32), Keith Earls (34)

We have some promising players coming through but they'll have to replace 4 Lions and 2 Lions captains

Not everyone can play to 36 like Sexton

Would the new head coach want his own backroom team?

Do we want a brand new coaching ticket while trying to replace the above?

Now, now. Don't throw Salanoa out with the bath water.

We need more Leinster home-grown players like.... eh, Salanoa?

Who said he was home grown?

Neither was Schmidt tho, when he got the Leinster gig. I wouldn't hold that against him as a reason not to have hired him. (It might be a reason not to retain him, tho).

I'm torn on Van Graan. We've seen some really good performances, like Toulon, Clermont and Racing but only in fits and spurts. We're trying to do the right thing at times, but the skill levels, accuracy and fluency just doesn't seem to be there. We've seen some good stuff in the league, but can't get beyond Leinster. He's been unlucky with injuries. We've been eliminated by the Tournament Winners in 6 of the 8 tournaments in the last 4 years. The other 2 times involved Racing, who got to the final both times.

It's been a complete mixed bag. Overall tho, it's Larkham's 3rd season, I believe. I'd have expected to be seeing a bit more fluency in attack at this point.

His lack of oomph for a blindside is a bit of an issue, in my view. It means you're left selecting for physicality at openside to balance the backrow. That's not an ideal place to be, because opensides are generally the lightest forwards (along with hookers) and if you need them to be freakishly powerful then the options are going to be quite limited if they also have to possess the smarts to read the game really well, like an openside should. You're putting yourself in a position where you need a David Wallace or a Sean O'Brien or a Dan Leavy available.

Personally, I think it would be better to consider O'Mahony at openside (he has the requisite smarts), and pick a bruiser at 6. Historically, there's no shortage of big bruisers who can play blindside at Munster.