Munster Team Talk Thread - Beirne After Reading

phog · 23-03-2026 11:54AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124334261#Comment_124334261

Mike Prendergast is already announced as leaving

mahoney_j · 23-03-2026 11:55AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124334211#Comment_124334211

comes across as old school and no bullshit approach …you’d worry if he’s mentioned for any other coaching role with another top club …could very well go if he feels he will not be allowed put his footprint on coaching and players he wants

Lost Ormond · 23-03-2026 11:58AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124334262#Comment_124334262

Brain fart but Leamy is signed on for next season and point stands the problem is the others are signed on so unless they move on themselves Clayton is stuck with them or Munster have to pay them off and then get someone new in

phog · 23-03-2026 12:05PM

We won a league with Prendergast and Leamy.

snotboogie · 23-03-2026 12:13PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124334261#Comment_124334261

I said at the time signing them on before a new HC comes in was madness and was hand waved away by the usual suspects on here. It's the sort of half measure that is typical of Munster, you back Rowntree, you promote Prendergast or you get a new coach in. Instead of making a tough decision, we hedge as much as possible and try to merge two options.

I genuinely think we had a good thing in 2023 but Rowntree, senior players and coaches all seemed to pull in opposite directions. If you were being harsh you could say that there was stubbornness, self interest and hubris across the three parties instead of looking after the best interests of the club. All of these people have done great things for Munster but we squandered the momentum of that title run and are now arguably in a worse place than we were at the start of the 22/23 season. Murray's comments in his book are aging worse by the week.

Cookiemunster · 23-03-2026 12:21PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124334300#Comment_124334300

Yes we won the trophy, but we finished 6th. It was a great achievement to win it the way we did, but it was three knock out games and we were extremely average over the course of the regular season.

And our defence has been shambolic for the last two seasons, which is Leamys bailiwick.

Lost Ormond · 23-03-2026 12:21PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124334300#Comment_124334300

And? That doesnt mean head coach shouldnt move them on if they dont line up with his coaching philosophy.

Podge_irl · 23-03-2026 12:24PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124334300#Comment_124334300

And Leinster won a league with Matt O'Connor. It was three years ago and the intervening years have not been kind. It could have been a fluke, they could be amazing assistant coaches who haven't gelled with successive head coaches, they could be amazing assistant coaches constrained by terrible head coaches. It ultimately doesn't matter - it doesn't seem to be working.

50HX · 23-03-2026 12:25PM

I know hindsight is great but surely when you have an attack coach that wanted the top gig & didnt get it then he's kind of in no man's land then isn't he?.

When his ambition was to be head coach he can hardly be content to play second fiddle going forward.

I've liked alot of what Mike P has done attack wise tbf...inconsistency is killing us

I think McMillan should have free reign to do whatever he sees fit re players & coaches come season end...otherwise his appointment is baffling.

I suspect & hope he will make changes & it will be a busy off season behind the scenes at the club.

Red Silurian · 23-03-2026 12:27PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124330962#Comment_124330962

What happened with the travel plans exactly?

Cardiff once had a nightmare when their travel plans were delayed, took them 55 hours between Cardiff and Bloomfontein back in 2018. The debacle was largely given as the reason that Cardiff lost out 29-27 that day so if we are indeed to blame the travel arrangements on a 45-0 loss it would want to be a major disruption

Lost Ormond · 23-03-2026 12:36PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124334377#Comment_124334377

they arrived around a day later than they planned. original flight from shannon was cancelled though at least players could go home to their own places and it could have been worse. they could have had been on way and all had to go to hotels etc.

shinana abu · 23-03-2026 12:42PM

Prendergast leaving in the summer..leamy is staying

Red Silurian · 23-03-2026 12:44PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124334399#Comment_124334399

I presume the plan was to arrive on Wednesday or Thursday so that is rough in fairness

Think the time Cardiff did it they only had 24hrs between landing and kickoff

Edit: just read Munster arrived on Wednesday (planned on Tuesday) after being able to go home and sleep in their own beds before departing. There's no way this can be an excuse for the performance we saw on Saturday.

JeanRasczak · 23-03-2026 02:09PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124334365#Comment_124334365

Matt won with a lot of the team which had won the previous years and was the remains of the excellent team built by Joe Schmidt.

The big difference was no Sexton but the likes of BOD, Heaslip, R Kearney, Madigan, Ross, Healy, Toner etc was running that team.

The season after when Matt had to do some rebuilding was when it all fell apart

snotboogie · 23-03-2026 02:40PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124334365#Comment_124334365

Won the league *with no South African teams

It's a totally different level of competition now.

typhoony · 23-03-2026 03:04PM

Where's the next Paul O'Connell or a David Wallace going to come from, as a previous poster said you only need 1 or 2 elite players coming through every year and maybe some years it's none and that's fine, But to go 10 years with only a couple of elite players coming through isnt sustainable.

budhabob · 23-03-2026 03:10PM

No injuries from the weekend, with all of Casey, Crowley and Loughman available for the weekend coming.

typhoony · 23-03-2026 03:10PM

I remember there was a game at the Sportground arohnd 2010/2011 and ok we were poor back then but Munster came with a fully stacked bench. We were in the fight until early in the 2nd half when munster unloaded their Irish internationals off the bench it was night and day. Think munster scored 3 or 4 tries

Podge_irl · 23-03-2026 03:15PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124334699#Comment_124334699

I wasn't comparing the accomplishments. Just saying that winning one "domestic" tournament does not mean you are immune to being a problem.

bingobango12 · 23-03-2026 04:16PM

Putting that result on Saturday aside, is this not an accurate reflection of where the current Munster squad are?

I don't catch every Munster game, and I didn't see Saturdays game but it seems like there is a massive difference when Beirne, Crowley and Casey are available and when they aren't. Take Cardiff out and replace them with Bulls in the table and is 6th not where Munster realistically are from a squad standpoint at the moment? Crowley and Beirne in particular seem to be the only real leaders in that squad from the outside looking in and are hugely missed when not available.

Take the 3 above with Nankivell and Farrell and I'm not sure if anyone else in the Munster 23 really gets into other matchday 15s across the provinces. Edogbo possibly also but is still coming back from those injuries.

ShineyShiney · 23-03-2026 04:53PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124335001#Comment_124335001

9th I think and hope. Connacht fan :)

Jump_In_Jack · 24-03-2026 12:11PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124334767#Comment_124334767

1 or 2 players most seasons won’t even be enough.

We’d need about 4 players on average coming from the academy into the senior squad consistently every single season.
That’s what it will take to improve the standard of the squad in the long term.
And that’s with a spread across all positions, no good having loads of talented back rows and no props for example.

I would use the following as a guide:

26/27 intake:
1x Out-Half, 1x Centre, 1x Back Three.
2x Props, 1x Lock, 1x Back Row.

27/28 intake:
1x Scrum-Half, 1x Centre, 1x Back Three.
1x Prop, 1 Hooker, 1x Lock, 1x Back Row.

Etc.

Lost Ormond · 24-03-2026 12:26PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124336736#Comment_124336736

Munster or any province never have and never will have a guide like that for academy entry. It cant be that structured. it has to be based partially on what senior squad needs but also is very much dependent on what talent flow is like through the clubs and schools in the province.

Eod100 · 24-03-2026 07:29PM

I see there's going to be a 20th anniversary dinner for the 2006 Champions Cup win. Tickets 500e a pop

50HX · 24-03-2026 11:32PM

No scrum (Cronin) or lineout (Codling) coach has travelled to SA due to illness as reported by Cian Treacy in the Indo today.

The bossman has taken on both those roles for the trip

It just gets better

budhabob · 25-03-2026 08:22AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124338509#Comment_124338509

Tbf, these things happen. Illness can land at any time, and tbf McMillan has coached both areas previously - not ideal, but also neither area has been exactly brilliant with the coaches present.

phog · 25-03-2026 09:47AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124338838#Comment_124338838

I didn't read the Indo's "exclusive" as I had read it on MFs the day before 😂 and generally I try to avoid giving clicks to the Indo but I assume we have other coaches, like Tommy O'Donnell that would step in too. Again, not ideal but what can you do when illness or family issues come acalling.