Munster Team Talk Thread - Beirne After Reading

You can't expect anything. But you could hope that he's ready to push for a place in the team quickly and even push for Ireland squads like Ryan and Baird.

But a second row can take time to fill out and settle into the role. Not being a star straight away doesn't mean he can't improve into a top player. It just means he won't be a player who bursts onto the scene ready to play senior level straight away.

What's the chances of Michael Bradley coming back to Ireland?

But sure it would make no sense to keep him solely as a forwards coach having signed him up now and he has also made his ambitions clear.

Munster would be extremely naive if they think van Graan has their best interests as his top priority and they let him continue masquerading as the head coach. He is a lame duck.

e.g. van Graan should have zero say in resigning Beirne, Carbery, Farrell etc. Rowntree should be the one picking the team and involved in contract negotiations.

The situation is a bit of a mess but it's only natural that the Munster players have moved on from JVG and are going to be looking looking to Rowntree for leadership.

Kidney isnt the answer and does he really want to come back for a third go? Id be very surprised if he did. and nostalgia may bring calls for ROG etc but is that really going to be the answer?

ROG would be back already if he wanted to. He clearly see's a pathway for himself and that doesnt include Munster now if it ever will?

Munster need a top quality experienced DOR/Head Coach. That trio isnt that

Rob Baxter please, I think himself and Rowntree would work well together, and if we don't get Prendergast as attack coach I'd like to see Conor McPhilips in the running for it.

James Coughlan is quietly building a very nice CV, don't think he's ready for the top job yet, would love to see him as defence coach with a longterm view to moving up.

Kidney as DOR, with Prendergast as head coach would be a shrewd appointment IMO.

Kidney putting the overarching structure in place, handling recruitment and contracts, promoting academy players and dictating the overall direction of the province. He has the province's D.N.A similar to Cullen at Leinster and he has experience in that role at London Irish.

Prendergast looking after the coaching, game plan and in-game strategy. He's put together a pretty impressive C.V. in France and I'd like to see him given a shot.

Rowntree signing on is great news. He's a top coach and a certain level of continuity is good. Obviously there'd be need for a new defence coach with Ferreira going to Bath. No names jump to mind, but perhaps that's a role for a foreign influence, or maybe promote Costello.

There's a serious crop of talent down at Munster. Get this appointment right and the next few years could be seriously exciting.

Carolan's a good shout too. Him and JVG are polar opposites in terms of their rugby philosophy.

Murray is a very good player but after only 6-8 appearances between them, its a bit early to be Judging them against each other

Ahern has had 2 80 minute games at senior level, In one of them, he was man of the match (admittedly against Zebre)

Ahern is being given time to develop by Munster. We don't want to see the same thing happen to him as what James Ryan has gone through. Getting absolutely hyped out the gate, thrown into huge games and then being targetted by the opposition and getting concussion after concussion putting his career in doubt at the age of 25

Yeah the last thing you want is a player to be hyped up, and then live up to the hype so they go straight in the provincial team and international squad. Baird is less than a year older than Ahern and he has 28 provincial and 5 international caps.

Ahern is doing grand, but he hasn't lived up to the hype yet. If he was as good as the hype then he'd have earned more munster opportunities.

Munster have 2 start second rows who have been injured since signing. If you add those 2 ahead of him then I don't see much genuine opportunity for Ahern in the short term.