Munster - History repeating?

Munster Block 1 Review, Block 2 Preview, Depth Chart and Questions to be answered.

Block 1 Review

Munster started the URC with two games against South African opponents who at the time were an unknown quantity. van Graan and the brains trust seemed to have a pre-prepared plan to go strong in the first two games, rotate heavily against Scarlets away with a second string team and then have the first team fresh and available on the short week against Connacht for the first interpro.

Munster got off to a flyer against the Sharks with a very impressive 42-17 bonus point win at home including scoring one of the tries of the season for Zebo's second. The second game against the Stormers was slightly different in that the South African side seemed to have done their homework and put Carbery under pressure with a outside in blitz defense and for the first half we able to limit Munster's entry into the Stormers 22. The Stormers led 15-0 until Munster readjusted and attacked their weak point of maul defense and eventually cruised to a 34-18 bonus point win. Munster tried to play expansive rugby in the first half but it wasn't on as they hadn't won the right to go wide early. Narrowing the attack and focusing on the lineout maul to get the win was the right thing to do and I have no issue with that.

The Scarlets away game saw 11 changes as it became obvious that Munster were targeting the Connacht game the following week, and very few game them a chance in Wales. The Scarlets side was loaded with returning internationals and Lions but it was a master class from Ben Healy, who was given a arm chair ride from his pack that allowed Munster claim a 43-13 bonus point victory. Healy's kicking pinned the Scarlets back, which opened up defensive line that allowed Healy's passing to pick them apart. The only disappointment from the day was RG Snyman's injury.

The first interpro of the season was a standard dogged affair with Connacht really putting it up to Munster. The Munster scrum solid but not dominant and Connacht caused huge problems to the lineout in the first half, with Fineen Wycherley who had called the lineout in the first three games rested. Connacht used the wind and their physicality in midfield in the first half and Munster rode their luck to take a half time lead against the run of play. Carty's block down try gave Connacht the lead late on but Munster regrouped set up camp in the Connacht 22 and barged their way over to win ugly 20-18.

Four wins from four put Munster in a very strong position and they named a team for the match away to the Ospreys that had a nice balance of form, potential and experience. Like Connacht the Ospreys fronted up to Munster and took away easy access to the Ospreys 22. Munster got on the wrong side of the ref at scrum time and couldn't change her mind. Individually there were far too many errors which meant that from a systemic point of view the chance of cohesion and ability to apply pressure to the Ospreys was negligible. Most worryingly though was that once Munster were matched up front and denied easy access to the Ospreys 22 it did seem like "deja vu all over again" in terms of a lack of plan B.

Block 2 Preview

Munster face into a run of nine games that will define their season. I believe they will need to win six out of the next nine game to be in a good position for both the URC and Champions Cup. Splitting this into sub blocks I think Munster need to win one of their away games in South Africa, the first two Champions Cup games, two out of three of the interpros and at least one of the final block of Champions Cup games.

27th Nov URC Bulls Away

4th Dec URC Lions Away

12th Dec CC Wasps Away

18th Dec CC Castres Home

26th Dec URC Leinster Home

1st Jan URC Connacht Away

8th Jan URC Ulster Home

14th Jan CC Castres Away

23rd Jan CC Wasps Home

The two away games directly after the autumn internationals and just before the Champions Cup put Munster in a difficult position. Any of the internationals who play more than one game are likely to require rest and may not even go on the tour to South Africa. Also because it is a tour Munster won't have the ability to bring a huge extended squad to allow them make sweeping changes between the Bulls and Lions game. I believe that van Graan and the management team had this in mind with their block 1 team selections and used those games to pitch time to players who they would need for the trip to the southern hemisphere.

Integrating the internationals back into the starting XV and keeping some from of cohesion is going to be the biggest issue for the management team as they face Wasps away and Castres at home directly after returning from South Africa. A loss in either of those games, although not fatal to their qualification hopes would be a blow.

The interpro series over the Christmas and New Year period is likely to be defined by IRFU player management protocol. If the IRFU insist like they have done previously on block enforcement of players for specific games then it turns what should be the highlight of the Irish Conference in the URC into a lottery decided by the IRFU. If Munster can come away with at least two wins out of three that will be considered a successful mini series.

The final two games of the block sees Castres away and Wasps at home. The hope would be that if things have gone to plan Wasps may be out of the competition at this point and not be bothered sending a strong over to Limerick so any result in France would help help Munster with the qualification for the knock out stages.

Squad Depth

Red = Started 3 games or more

Yellow = Played in 3 games or more

Blue = Unused Sub

Tight Five

Loose Head - We are seeing a very clear and defined pecking order with Killer very much the top dog, but James Cronin's departure left a void as the back up which looks to be capably filled by Jeremy Loughman. Killer has started all three games he has taken part in but Loughman has actually played the most minutes. Josh Wycherley cemented his place as the number 3 with bench performances against the Ospreys and Scarlets.

Name	Start/Sub	Mins
Kilcoyne	3+0	160
Loughman	2+3	202
J Wycherley	0+2	38

Killer continues to be the main heavy carrier in the front row but Loughman has certainly taken very positive steps in terms of his own carrying the season and his combination of speed and footwork has seen his effectiveness as a carrier improve. Wycherley's conditioning looks to be much better this season, as you would expect of a young prop and while he continues to impose himself on opponents physically when used off the bench we still haven't seen him be the force needed with ball in hand.

The mini trip to South Africa should mean that Killer is rested after the autumn internationals and that will allow Loughman get up to speed before the Champions Cup games and Wycherley and O'Connor fight it out as the back up.

Hooker - Similar to Loose Head there is a very clear leader in the race for the 2 jersey and Niall Scannell has regained the form that saw him win Irish caps in the past. His throwing has been very good, bar the first half of the Connacht match where there was a total system failure and it wasn't the hookers fault alone. His work in the tight, which is what separated him from Marshall and KOB for the last year is still top notch and while he is not the heavy carrier that Munster need at the very top level he has started to make an impact more with ball in hand this season.

KOB's injury at the start of the season opened the door for Diarmuid Barron and he has taken his chance with both hands. He started the Scarlets game and has come off the bench three times making enough of an impact to claim the bench jersey in my opinion. He has looked comfortable in open play (Scarlets), has shown he can be the tight carrier (Connacht) and has performed well enough in the set piece to be trusted by the management in the big games. A good showing in South Africa could cement his place for the Champions Cup and Interpro period in December.

Name	Start/Sub	Mins
N Scannell	4+0	240
Barron	1+3	121
KOB	0+2	39

Kevin O'Byrne injury has seen him drop down the pecking order and has limited him to just a few cameo appearances off the bench. His ability from touch and in open play aren't really in question but its at scrum time that he will have to prove himself, I think, to be in a position to get meaningful game time in the next block of games. Declan Moore joined the team from Australia and while he comes with a reputation as a big ball carrier, he will need to prove he can stay injury free and can meet the standards required before he is trusted on the pitch. With none of the hookers on international duty its hard to see how Moore and Buckley will get enough game time to impress the coaches unless there are injuries ahead of them.

Tight Head - While John Ryan is the clear leader for the 3 jersey unlike the other front row positions there is now standout for the back up position. Knox and Archer have shared the game time behind Ryan and you have to wonder if Knox hasn't picked up that injury in the Stormers game would he have seen more pitch time against the Scarlets and Connacht. While I do think that Archer would still have seen some game time anyway, that injury opened the door and Archer proved he isn't going to drop out of the match day 23 without a fight.

Name	Start/Sub	Mins
Ryan	3+1	188
Knox	1+2	116
Archer	1+2	96

Ryan's game is based on his set piece and while he has shown some improvement in the loose it wasn't enough to see him included in the Ireland squad for the autumn internationals. Archer's is coming towards the end of his career and it would be unfair to expect him to reinvent himself at this point so we need to acknowledge that what he does he does quite well and that it is up to the young guns to by pass him. I think Knox has shown that he is at the point and if he can get an injury free run that he can and possibly should be the tight head bench option for the Champions Cup pool games. Archer can bring solidity to the scrum, is effective with ball in hand without have a powerful carry and his maul work is excellent but Knox has the potential to be a monster in the scrum and has shown glimpses that he has the hands to bring something different to the tight head role.

Roman Salanoa has been the big loser at tight head in this first block of games due to injuries. He would have been hoping to get some game time and like Knox start to make a case for inclusion in the big games. Salanoa is a phenomenal athlete and his power and ability to carry effectively in heavy traffic is something that Munster badly want and need in the front row but he has to prove he can stay fit and provide the set piece stability to earn his spot, which unfortunately is something we haven't seen from him yet.

Lock - Its hard to even begin discussing the lock situation without looking at how much of a loss RG Snyman's injury is to Munster, but to put my optimists hat on for a minute there are far worse positions in which an injury to a star player could have happened and at least in the second row Munster have a number of international options to try fill the gap he leaves.

Name	Start/Sub	Mins
F Wycherley	4+1	326
Kleyn	4+0	222
Ahern	1+1	78
Beirne	2+0	160
Snyman	0+3	46

Its clear that Wycherley and Kleyn have been the go to pairing in the first block. Snyman until that injury was used as the explosive bench option and Ahern continued to gain more experience. Beirne's delayed return due to the Lions only saw him play the last two games but he did play a full 80 minutes in both. Jenkins has been injured for the first five games and will need to step up on his return.

I think its fair say Wycherley has been Munster's stand out player in the first block, and he is giving the Munster management team a good headache in terms of selection. He has been the lineout caller and done a lot of the unseen, unglamorous work of hitting rucks, making sure clean quick ball is available and knocking opposition carriers back on the gain line. He plays a similar physical role to Jean Kleyn who has been the cornerstone of the Munster pack for the last few years. Kleyn has been expanding his game in the last 18 months and while he appears as a receiver and distributor much more frequently now, he doesn't seem to be that heavy carry option you would expect from a man of his size and power.

Ahern is the rough diamond that Munster need to polish. He has the size, he has the speed, he has the technique and now we are starting to see the power come through that may allow him to be a world class second row. He's height and reach alone make him a sure thing on lineout ball and now that physically he seems to be at home in the senior game its a case of managing his game time correctly to ensure Munster see the best of him.

Jenkins was potentially the biggest loser in this category in the first block due to his injuries. He's on a one year deal and the timing of contract talks means he needed to hit the ground running. He can add some size and a much needed heavy carry option to the pack but if he is to push for a place in the Champions Cup side he will need to make a big impression over the next two games.

Beirne has played two full games, one at lock and one as the hybrid lock. I'm a big fan of using Beirne at 6 given the other resources Munster have in the second row and think if he is used in middle or wider channels he can be a very effective carrier as well as offering a jackal threat and a lineout option. I also see Wycherley as the natural back up to Beirne at 6 in the big games, he offers size, physicality and a lineout option, and paired with some combination of Kleyn, Jenkins and Ahern as a battering ram second row gives Munster options.

Backrow and Half Backs

Back Row - With Beirne in as the hybrid lock it only leaves two spots in the backrow. Coombes is the No 8 berring injury and that leaves POM for the openside spot. Minutes played show a leaning towards that as well with JOD seemingly the preferred bench option.

Name	Start/Sub	Mins
Coombes	3+1	268
POM	4+0	320
JOD	4+1	283
Cloete	2+1	157
JOS	1+1	88
Hodnett	0+1	21
Daly	0+1	20
Kendellen	0+1	11

The backrow has to have the big heavy carry option of Coombes because there are so few overall within the pack. Coombes of course brings much more to the table than just that, but it would the primary reason he's a nailed on starter. POM brings the leadership, the lineout option and counter jump as well as the wider carrier and jackal threat which if the tight five can gain parity gives the backrow a nice balance.

JOD who had four excellent games before having a tough outing against the Ospreys is the ideal bench replacement and is almost too like POM for both of them to work effectively in the backrow together. Jack has a lovely balance between power and speed, is so effective carrying in the wider channels, gives a lineout option and has world class maul defense.

I've said it before but Chris Cloete really is marmite, you either love him or hate him. He can win you a game with his jackals or he can cost you a game through the penalties he gives away at the breakdown looking for the turnover. He seems specifically suited to teams like the Scarlets, Ulster, Connacht etc who like to move the ball wide and can de susceptible to turnovers in the wider channels. He is also a better carrier and ball handler than most give him credit for and he is very much a viable option should Munster look to stack the bench with a 6/2 split.

With POM and Coombes in the Ireland squad I would expect Jack O'Sullivan, JOD and Cloete to do a lot of the heavy lifting on the tour to South Africa. The likes of Jack Daly, Hodnett and Kendellen will have the chance of game time but the current pecking order between them isn't clear and it may come down to injuries and form in training. I'm putting Hodnett above the others in my depth chart due to his return from injury and the impact that he has made at senior level so far in admittedly very limited game time.

Scrum Half - Conor Murray made his long awaited come back from Lions duty off the bench against the Ospreys and the minutes played show Craig Casey is most definitely the only man to challenge him for the starting 9 jersey.

Name	Start/Sub	Mins
Casey	4+0	282
Cronin	1+0	64
Murray	0+1	21
Osbourne	0+2	17
Patterson	0+1	16

With a delayed pre season for Murray it was Craig Casey who continued his development and rise to the top as Munster's starting 9 in four out of the five games. He continues to bring a great energy to the role as well as skillset in his range of passing that allows Munster play at a high tempo. Both Casey and Murray will be off with the internationals so that will likely leave Cronin and Osbourne to fight it out in South Africa.

Cronin had the one start against the Scarlets and looked excellent but it must be said that he was given an armchair ride by his pack that afternoon. He plays a much different game to Casey in that while he wants to put tempo into the game he does so by picking the ball up at the base of the ruck and taking a few steps with it, to allow himself time to survey the situation and it helps draw runners onto the ball from deeper. Casey tends to fire the ball quickly from the base with accurate passing looking for his first receiver to be ready and in position quickly.

From the few minutes I have seen of Osbourne I have been impressed with his reading of the game and his passing. If he can prove himself in training it could be a decent battle between himself and Cronin for the third scrum half spot.

Out Half - This is probably the biggest concern and leaves one of the biggest questions for Munster management. Joey Carbery is without doubt the Munster number one out half but the problem is that he hasn't hit anywhere close to the levels of form required on a consistent basis since before the 2019 RWC. Its obvious he is a quality player but the question has to be asked how long are Munster (and Ireland) willing to give him significant game time to try find that form again?

Munster face a significant issue in the position because while Jack Crowley is on a two year deal, Ben Healy only signed a one year deal and performances like the one against the Scarlets will continue to have the SRU on high alert.

Name	Start/Sub	Mins
Carbery	3+0	205
Healy	1+3	116
Crowley	1+1	79

Carbery started three of the games but failed to make a significant impact in any. Healy, as seen by the minutes played, is becoming more and more trusted by the Munster management and this will lead to some very tough questions being asked and answered with potentially both players in the coming weeks and months.

Carbery has been solid off the tee put mistakes have been prevalent in his game that you wouldn't expect of a player of his quality - restarts out on the full, poor tactical kicking etc as well as missing a lot of first up tackles. Both Crowley and in particular Healy have shown some excellent kicking for 50:22 where as we haven't seen that range quite yet from Joey. The Scarlets match in particular was a turning point for Healy not because of his kicking which was superb on the day but it was his ability to get the backline moving and find the space with his passes that stood out. It has to be noted the armchair ride he got that day but that doesn't take away from the fact he is now beating down the door looking to take the 10 jersey and unless Joey steps up for Ireland he may not be the automatic choice at 10 in December for the Champions Cup and Interpro's.

Crowley and Jake Flannery, who was very unlucky to be named on the bench against Connacht but not used, will look to the next two games in South Africa to get more development time on the pitch.

Back Five

Centres - This is a slightly strange one as I don't think there is much debate about that none of what would be considered the starting centre pairing has actually started in the first five games and I think in particular that has impacted the form of Joey Carbery. I have left Earls as a back three player despite his two starts and 139 mins at centre.

Name	Start/Sub	Mins
Goggin	3+1	264
R Scannell	3+0	216
L Coombes	2+0	160
De Allende	0+1	21

Scannell and Goggin have shared the majority of the minutes but have only started together once. I think some of the problems in midfield have come from playing a "light pairing". Scannell and Earls are decent players and both are well capable of playing centre at URC level but as a pairing with a defensively suspect out half it creates too many problems and an easy target for the opposition to attack. I thought that the pairing of Goggin and Coombes provided a much more solid base to work with on both sides of the ball.

Scannell offers that 2nd 5/8th type player at 12 with his skillset and his kicking game is extremely useful. Goggin is a hard running, physical centre with an under rated kick game and as his sevens experience shows he doesn't lack for pace. Liam Coombes however is the one that has excited me. He is a big man, has moved in from wing so doesn't pace, seems to have good hands, doesn't make many mistakes which is important defensively for a 13 and he seems to pop up in the right position when needed in attack. He doesn't necessarily catch the eye that much but by doing the simple things right all the time is very very effective. With Coombes Munster may have found someone genuinely able to push Chris Farrell for the 13 jersey.

De Allende and Farrell are the first choice pairing and Munster will look for Farrell to get up to speed in South Africa, if he is fit and hope that he and De Allende can hit the ground running for the Champions Cup. Scannell will see game time over the Interpro series but faces stiff competition now from Goggin and Coombes.

On a personal note I do hope that the experiment of Earls at 13 is over. Its not that I don't think Earls is a quality player who can't play the position its just that he is better on the wing. I can see the logic in trying it - get all four of your best back three players on the pitch at the same time, look to exploit turnover and transition ball with his speed and also if it did work it would allow more flexibility on the bench for big games. However I don't think the experiment has worked and Munster need to settle on partnerships for the next nine games which will be critical as to where they finish in the league and Champions Cup.

Back Three - An area of real strength for Munster with 3 players making the Ireland squad in the back three. Haley seems to own the 15 jersey but can't get a look in at national level despite being the closest thing to Keenan playing in Ireland. Zebo has made a splash since returning but like a lot of our back three has been under used. Earls has played centre and Conway is still regaining his form after the injuries last season.

Name	Start/Sub	Mins
Conway	3+0	240
Haley	3+0	240
Daly	3+0	240
Zebo	2+1	181
Earls	2+0	139
Nash	2+0	160
Gallagher	2+0	139

Nash didn't have the best game against the Stormers but tore it up against the Scarlets to show that his pre season form wasn't just a blip. Shane Daly is the quiet man of this group. Just goes about his business, played three full games and maybe doesn't get the recognition and plaudits he deserves, but he has a fight on his hands to break into this back three. Gallagher has filled in for Haley and despite being solid he hasn't shown that he is going to grab the jersey from him just yet. Zebo has shown flashes of why he is treated like a superstar and with his left footed kicking option in the back three its understandable why Andy Farrell wanted him back.

I think the back three in general have suffered from the tactical style played by the team as well as the fact that Munster have used the opening games to try shoehorn their best players available all into the backline at once. It has potentially impacted partnerships and building understanding between the player as Munster try to find some cohesion in their play.

With Earls, Zebo and Conway all away with Ireland there should be plenty of opportunities for players on the South African trip to make an impression with the coaches and stake their claim for the next block. One thing that may catch the coaches eyes would be someone who can turn transition ball into attacking threats.

Questions to be answered

Should Peter O'Mahony remain as on-field captain? - This is not a question about POM's leadership or his place in the starting XV, this is a point around how Munster interact with a referee especially when things aren't going their way. Last season against Connacht POM got into a situation where he wasn't speaking to referee Dan Jones that led to other players questioning his decisions and that doesn't help anyone on the field. Against the Ospreys I believe the ref was calling a number of the scrum decisions wrongly against Munster but with the Munster front row unable to "paint a picture" Hollie Davidson liked POM was unable to talk her around either.

Whether anyone could is a very valid point but POM does tend to project a confrontational personality on the pitch and that translates to his interactions with the referees. The scowl and glare doesn't necessarily go down well with the headmaster type approach the refs in the URC take, so should Munster appoint an on-field with the primary duty of referee interaction. I think a new face, a new approach but still having the leadership and experience of POM on the field making the decisions might be an asset to Munster in the short and medium term.

Who should be the Munster half back pairing? - I've already touched on this above with comments about Carbery's form and how long Munster can afford to to continue giving him game time to regain that form while holding back the likes of Healy, Crowley and Flannery. And I think there is also a conversation to be had at scrum half in terms of the pace and tempo that Munster want to play at and how that fits with Murray and Casey skillsets.

In terms of the pairings I'm going to call out now what I would like to see, as opposed to what I think will happen. For me Carbery was a 15 at Leinster who wanted to play 10 and moved to Munster to make that happen. I think his experience and his performances all point to a player who likes time and space to work in (what out half wouldn't?). My issue is that when he is under pressure from things like a blitz defense or has to work off the back foot he's not as effective as some of the other options Munster have at their disposal. I don't think his longer range tactical kicking is as good as Healy's, and maybe even Crowley's, and with the new 50:22 giving 22 entries for the attacking team this is vital for pinning wingers back and creating space in the defensive line.

Unless Carbery suddenly regains form with Ireland I think it might be best to have Murray and Healy start the big games for Munster. Healy has shown he has the kicking game to worry teams and the passing game to exploit it. With Murray there to guide him and help manage the game they could be the perfect combination to start the games and then when the game opens up slightly in the second half or Munster are chasing the game you could unleash Casey and Carbery from the bench with hopefully a little more space, to increase the tempo and look to attack more with ball in hand.

What are the Munster tactics? - A lot of fans and media pundits seem to be obsessed about Munster not playing rugby in a similar manner to Japan and that if they don't suddenly start doing this for every match between now and the knockout stages of the URC and Champions Cup they won't win anything. The reality is that they don't but things do need to change. Adding the likes of Snyman and Jenkins to the pack along with the likes of Knox and Ahern developing bolstered Munster to a point where by adding pieces to that forward power they could be contenders. Losing Snyman is a significant blow to that plan as is the fact that Munster's strike plays have gone missing. I've seen very little from Munster so far this season to show that they can replicate strike moves like the Mike Haley try against Clermont away last season.

When Munster are on the front foot, winning collisions, are solid at the scrum and can secure their own lineout they are almost unstoppable. However as shown against Connacht and Ospreys if you meet them att the gainline and stop them easy access into your 22 there doesn't appear to be a lot more Munster can offer. Munster are a set piece team, looking for scrum penalties to kick the line and launch the lineout maul. While I have seen some improvement in the carry technique from the forwards, particularly in how they are using their footwork before and in contact, the stats don't lie.

From the URC Munster are ranked 2nd in Lineouts and 5th for Scrums. They are also ranked 11th for offloads, 9th for metres gained, 9th for defenders beaten and 10th for clean breaks. While they may show glimpses like Zebos second try against the Sharks in reality there is no consistent cohesiveness there in terms of non set piece work. Munster need to regain their strike play moves and look for more from their transition play. Munster don't need to move away from what has made them this consistent but they do need to show they can add to it.

Should the management team have their contracts extended? - This is perhaps the biggest question of all and the hardest to answer. Munster need stability but they need stability with the right people in charge. As I said a few weeks ago the decision to extend the contracts was probably 90% done over the summer because now is the time that the deals start to get done and they are announced early in the new year. van Graan, Larkham and Rountree will have been assessed on their record and performance up to the end of last season and with Munster easily capable of winning 80% plus of their regular season matches the only way progress can truly tested is against the very best and in the knock outs. There has been a lot of talk in the media about van Graan moving to a DOR role and allowing Larkham more say in how Munster play and any extensions will have to have some level of change involved, even if its just tactical because Munster can't keep doing what they are doing and hope to win trophies.

While fans want and demand silverware for the province I do think there is a disconnect in what the decision makers are looking for. I think the IRFU and Munster CEO would like Munster to win silverware but of more importance to them is ensuring a stability within the province and ensuring that Munster are competitive, reaching knockouts, filling the stadium and being close to silverware.

If the decision makers look for change then Munster are looking for their 6th head coach in the last decade but if they decide to keep the current team in place are we doomed to see yet more quarter, semi or maybe even final defeats? Either way it could be a little bit of.........