Following on from here
New Munster chat thread folks. warning deserved there. https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=109477571#post109477571
Nah from the team I recon. Outplayed DeKlerk yesterday.
Height, he looked 5’8 max. Maybe I’m being a bit harsh because he looked excellent yesterday.
Most exciting from a Munster perspective maybe, but he might not even start if everyones fit for the 20s
You say O'Leary Kareem looked tiny. Can you elaborate a little? Is it bulk required or height? Can he defend? It looked like an exciting lineup and gives a little hope for the future.
yes
Is the winger you are referring to Hubert Gilvarry? He was born in 2001, was on the same Connacht age grade teams as the likes of Shane Jennings and Cathal Forde.
Munster looked good in the first half, second half was really messy. Lots of the promising generation who have and will stand out at 20’s over the last 4 years playing together so worth a watch back on Access Munster. Notably I thought the two second rows and winger who aren’t in the Munster squad or academy all did really well, not sure if they are older? Gleeson and L Coombes looked a class above when they chose to get involved, J Daly didn’t and was baited into giving a really stupid penalty away by Ulster. If O’Leary Kareem can play senior rugby at his size he’s the most exciting player in this years 20’s team, he looked tiny out there though. Sheehan was exceptional when he came on.
Munster won but didn't think too much of their play. Munster battered Ulster up front
Munster win 50-33
Ulster try 9 gone 2nd half
Implementing a playing style being dependent on the players currently available can be a risky strategy. Key players suffer long term injuries and that strategy collapses. And that approach is based on a 'more of the same please' brief to the incoming HC. All well & good when things are going well, but if results have been less than optimal then that strategy won't suffice either.
Any mid season appointment brings huge challenges.
YEllow gilvarry. Contact in air.
As leading 38-14 half time.
Nope
any idea if it will be available to view afterwards?
Reminder - Tomorrow's game is not on terrestrial TV but is on TG4 PLAYER and Premier Sport
Team for tomorrow
Munster: Mike Haley; Shay McCarthy, Tom Farrell, Alex Nankivell, Thaakir Abrahams; Billy Burns, Ethan Coughlan; Dian Bleuler, Diarmuid Barron (C), John Ryan; Evan O’Connell, Fineen Wycherley; Jack O’Donoghue, Alex Kendellen, Gavin Coombes.
Replacements: Niall Scannell, Kieran Ryan, Stephen Archer, Ruadhán Quinn, John Hodnett, Paddy Patterson, Tony Butler, Shane Daly.
I imagine there are potential head coaches who would want to be the attack coach themselves. Though that's not an insurmountable problem.
The timing still feels slightly odd to me though the point that they don't really have much choice is well taken.
Surely implementing a pre-determined playing style is as much, if not more, dependant on players available, not just coaches. Maybe there are a handful of head coaches who can demand a club tailor their coaching and playing staff to suit their style but that doesn't work in Ireland where restrictions apply.
It would be a huge risk for Munster to sit on coach renewals on the basis that a head coach might want to bring their own coaches (plus there's the risk those coaches may not want to relocate to Ireland, even if their HC does). They could end up searching for an entirely new coaching team and still find themselves with a head coach who doesn't come with his own team.
You could also argue any Head Coach worth his salt should be able to adapt his game plan to the players available, and suggestions from the coaches. I can’t imagine too many head coaches will rule themselves out because they don’t want Mike Prendergast as attack coach? To me, the timing is the more difficult recruitment aspect, rather than anything to do with the coaches.
Reasonable point.
But ..
If it's the Head Coach's job to decide how a team should play, then having to coach his assistant coachs in his method before he can get to coaching the playing group will take longer. Having assistant coachs who already coach to the Head Coach's methods is clearly an advantage. In some situations there will be a succesion plan in place, but this is not the case with Munster presently. The new Head Coach will need to make a immediate impression, working with an already embedded coaching ticket. This may make attracting candidates more difficult & will make 'hitting the ground running' extremely difficult for the new Head Coach.
How many rugby coaches are following a Head Coach around Europe/the world from job to job? There are obviously cases of two guys who work together and are willing to relocate together (e.g. JvG and JPF) but I'd assume that's an exception. I'm sure they apply for roles as a package, can't have one without the other.
Trying to find a complete suite of new coaches for next season would be extremely difficult. If keeping proven quality coaches on staff means you miss out on control freaks like EJ, I wouldn't see that as a negative. Good coaches have to be able to adapt somewhat to each job/club, allowing them turn the place upside down trying to recreate conditions to suit themselves has a high probability of doing more harm than good.
Gordon Wood with the senior team?
I forgot about this because of our game v The Lions and the game V Australia.
The A team to play Ulster A tomorrow.
Munster A: Ben O’Connor; Liam Coombes, Gene O’Leary Kareem, Eoghan Smyth, Hubert Gilvarry; Dylan Hicks, Jack Oliver; Conor Bartley, Eoghan Clarke, Ronan Foxe; Conor Kennelly, Conor Ryan; Seán Edogbo, Jack Daly (C), Brian Gleeson.
Replacements: 16. Scott Buckley, 17. George Hadden, 18. Emmet Calvey, 19. Jack Kelleher, 20. Oisín Minogue, 21. Jake O’Riordan, 22. Tom Wood, 23. Oisín Pepper, 24. Harry Murphy, 25. Danny Sheahan.
These were my thoughts on this too. I'd say you could look at tons of clubs where a head coach changed and the club had assistant coaches in place on their arrival and the head coach worked with them.
Separately, Munster will be well aware of supporter / media criticism, and getting the Leamy / Prendergast news out ASAP will help allay some fears.
I'd say this is a huge factor tbh. Steady the ship after the Rowntree and Kyriacou departures, get some good news out there.
If a new head coach comes in with his own guys, they just invent a new title for them.
There's nothing at all unusual here. Rassie had Felix Jones and Jerry Flannery already in place when he arrived. Van Graan inherited them too.
Van Graan himself went to Bath and he only took JP Ferreira with him.
Who did Richie Murphy add to the Ulster coaching team?
Rugby isn't football and coaches regularly slot in to lead the coaching team already in place.
You would have to think that they have someone in mind of lined up and these appointments were discussed. I thought Leamy would be under pressure, our defence has been poor, we have a -30 points difference this season. shipping points for fun.
Preferred assistants, yes, but I think it's fair to say Leamy, and Prendergast in particular, are extremely well regarded coaches that many a head-coach would be happy to work with?
There's also the possibility that Munster have a headcoach lined up, and these extensions are done with their blessing.
Or, if they don't have a headcoach locked in, and they don't move on Prendergast and Leamy, they risk losing them too. I'm not sure that would be preferable either.
I think it's fair to say the vast majority of Munster fans are really pleased with both of these announcements.
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