Grahamunster - Graham Rowntree's Munster 2022/2023

[hugonaut]

After the Leinster game I was talking to roughly 467 Leinster fans in the RDS from all over the province and all they could talk about was how looking forward to the Munster match they were. That can only be great to see the level of interest in Munster from outside Munster.

Congratulations Munster

Hahaha!

[munster#1]

Not a great win for Munster, but great to get the win.
Munster definitely benefited from Connacht’s lack of a clinical edge.
Carty overwriting the pack’s call to go for another scrum after demolishing the Munster scrum being the best example.
Connacht had the Munster scrum in bits and a few more resets could well have seen Munster reduced to 14.

It took real balls and had they lost, stupidity from Rowntree to leave the young front row on for as long as he did, but a lesson like that whilst still getting a win is a valuable lesson for Josh and Salanoa.

Munster are definitely making progress, but they are still making many errors that better teams will exploit.
Munster have a good distance to go, and I suspect they are a few weeks too soon to be going up against Toulouse and Leinster.

[paddyor]

After the Leinster game I was talking to roughly 467 Leinster fans in the RDS from all over the province and all they could talk about was how looking forward to the Munster match they were. That can only be great to see the level of interest in Munster from outside Munster.

Congratulations Munster

[CiaranIrl]

https://mobile.twitter.com/threeredking ... tqJJITPZyQ

Some kick! The lad is in the under 20s, isn't he?

[munster#1]

https://mobile.twitter.com/threeredking ... tqJJITPZyQ

Some kick! The lad is in the under 20s, isn't he?

Thanks for sharing. That is an incredible kick.
Having someone on the park who can kick from that distance would really keep the opposition honest.

[mildlyinterested]

https://mobile.twitter.com/threeredking ... tqJJITPZyQ

Some kick! The lad is in the under 20s, isn't he?

was last year, not anymore

[munster#1]

Good article on Frisch.
He is a player who came in under the radar, who came in for a little bit of negative criticism for being a bit of a journey man player, but for me he looks like a very good player in the limited amount of game time he’s had.

He looks to have a very solid all round game.
His ability on the ball has been very obvious over the last 2 games, but for me it’s his defensive ability which has been equally as impressive.

He seems like a real leader in defence, ensuring that the defensive line is set, and working in as one.
His ability in the tackle is also very impressive, with him making impactful hits and not just soak tackles.

Hopefully Fekitoa can hit some kind of form, because to date he is being outplayed by a player who he should be way ahead of.

https://www.rte.ie/sport/united-rugby-c ... r-munster/

[ronk]

You predicted him as a likely RWC bolter before he had played for Munster and got a bit of negative criticism for that, not him. There's a lot of competition in the Irish squad at centre.

He's started one game and it's already the end of November. How he comes on will be important for Munster both because of the alternatives and the need for a centre who can be part of a functional passing backline.

Munster have so much faith in their stocks at centre that they signed Oli Morris. He'd be a disappointment if he couldn't get ahead of Goggin when fit.

Good luck to the lad. BTW, calling a 26 year old player with 1 year of top tier rugby a journeyman is hardly egregious. It's his 7th club in 7 years.

[munster#1]

Deleted

[Colmodon]

Frisch looks like just the player that Ireland have been crying out for. He was brilliant in attack and defence. If he and Fekitoa can click, Munster’s season could really be turned around.

You also said this after his first game against a team Bristol battered the following week.

[dropkick]

I don't know much about Frisch but he looks class so far. He seems to have time on the ball, good skills, good size etc.


I wouldn't mind seeing Munster have a clear out of centers in the next 2 seasons. Keep Frisch and get rid of the others. Farrell has done nothing. Goggin and Scannell are limited. Fekitoa might come good but he relies on athleticism and age isn't on his side.

[munster#1]

Frisch looks like just the player that Ireland have been crying out for. He was brilliant in attack and defence. If he and Fekitoa can click, Munster’s season could really be turned around.

You also said this after his first game against a team Bristol battered the following week.

I also corrected that by clarifying that it was a typo and should have said Munster.

[Colmodon]

I don't know much about Frisch but he looks class so far. He seems to have time on the ball, good skills, good size etc.


I wouldn't mind seeing Munster have a clear out of centers in the next 2 seasons. Keep Frisch and get rid of the others. Farrell has done nothing. Goggin and Scannell are limited. Fekitoa might come good but he relies on athleticism and age isn't on his side.

While he does look good, there are question marks over durability and how/why he has churned through so many clubs in his 7 seasons as a pro. Munster's planning, or lack thereof, at centre is a big symptom of their poor squad building in general. There's a well known roll of honor in terms of their signings there over the years, including three three this season alone.

As far as I know, there is only Fionn Gibbons in the academy who is a potential pro centre. All other backs are either half backs or back three (and Gibbons may end up on the wing).

[munster#1]

I don't know much about Frisch but he looks class so far. He seems to have time on the ball, good skills, good size etc.


I wouldn't mind seeing Munster have a clear out of centers in the next 2 seasons. Keep Frisch and get rid of the others. Farrell has done nothing. Goggin and Scannell are limited. Fekitoa might come good but he relies on athleticism and age isn't on his side.

While he does look good, there are question marks over durability and how/why he has churned through so many clubs in his 7 seasons as a pro. Munster's planning, or lack thereof, at centre is a big symptom of their poor squad building in general. There's a well known roll of honor in terms of their signings there over the years, including three three this season alone.

As far as I know, there is only Fionn Gibbons in the academy who is a potential pro centre. All other backs are either half backs or back three (and Gibbons may end up on the wing).

Whist I’d be slow to get too far ahead, and claim him to be the finished article, it well be that he is just a late bloomer.
From what I’ve seen of him in red so far, it doesn’t tie in with a player who is below par for some of the clubs he’s been at.

In relation to lack of planning in the centre, a club can not bring players who are not there.
It’s not like Munster have failed to invest in players who have went elsewhere and now look like internationals.
The Munster net is fairly small in comparison to many other clubs.

If you were to compare Munster to Leinster or to a lesser extent Ulster, then you are comparing apples and oranges, as Munster do not have the population, schools or player numbers to match.

It has already been discussed at length, but each of the provinces have struggled in certain positions with no real clear reason why other than the players never came through.

[Colmodon]

I don't know much about Frisch but he looks class so far. He seems to have time on the ball, good skills, good size etc.


I wouldn't mind seeing Munster have a clear out of centers in the next 2 seasons. Keep Frisch and get rid of the others. Farrell has done nothing. Goggin and Scannell are limited. Fekitoa might come good but he relies on athleticism and age isn't on his side.

While he does look good, there are question marks over durability and how/why he has churned through so many clubs in his 7 seasons as a pro. Munster's planning, or lack thereof, at centre is a big symptom of their poor squad building in general. There's a well known roll of honor in terms of their signings there over the years, including three three this season alone.

As far as I know, there is only Fionn Gibbons in the academy who is a potential pro centre. All other backs are either half backs or back three (and Gibbons may end up on the wing).

In relation to lack of planning in the centre, a club can not bring players who are not there.
It’s not like Munster have failed to invest in players who have went elsewhere and now look like internationals.
The Munster net is fairly small in comparison to many other clubs.

I take the point to some extent, but there is a counterbalance that - if there is always at least one international standard overseas player there, guys don't get opportunities which might otherwise come their way when teams have to reach down the depth chart. Take for example Sean French who looked like a star at U20s level, but you could count on one hand (twice over) the amount of opportunitites he got in red before being released, despite being part of a very good Con side going well in the AIL. Alex McHenry another who got fewer than 5 appearances for Munster (scoring once) before being released. It is a safety blanket Munster have never relinquished, and have not produced an international standard centre in over a decade.

Leinster certainly don't have a great record historically with signing second rows and 9s, but they've still produced Ryan, Baird and McCarthy in that time, and McGrath has gone to the world cup with Ireland.

[paddyor]

https://twitter.com/Murray_Kinsella/sta ... 3mT6FOSJOg

Chris Farrell training with Munster

[munster#1]

Another great little earner for Munster, thankfully not at the expense of a home game.

Presale registration is available for anyone interested.

https://www.munsterrugby.ie/2022/11/25/ ... park/#post

[munster#1]

While he does look good, there are question marks over durability and how/why he has churned through so many clubs in his 7 seasons as a pro. Munster's planning, or lack thereof, at centre is a big symptom of their poor squad building in general. There's a well known roll of honor in terms of their signings there over the years, including three three this season alone.

As far as I know, there is only Fionn Gibbons in the academy who is a potential pro centre. All other backs are either half backs or back three (and Gibbons may end up on the wing).

In relation to lack of planning in the centre, a club can not bring players who are not there.
It’s not like Munster have failed to invest in players who have went elsewhere and now look like internationals.
The Munster net is fairly small in comparison to many other clubs.

I take the point to some extent, but there is a counterbalance that - if there is always at least one international standard overseas player there, guys don't get opportunities which might otherwise come their way when teams have to reach down the depth chart. Take for example Sean French who looked like a star at U20s level, but you could count on one hand (twice over) the amount of opportunitites he got in red before being released, despite being part of a very good Con side going well in the AIL. Alex McHenry another who got fewer than 5 appearances for Munster (scoring once) before being released. It is a safety blanket Munster have never relinquished, and have not produced an international standard centre in over a decade.

Leinster certainly don't have a great record historically with signing second rows and 9s, but they've still produced Ryan, Baird and McCarthy in that time, and McGrath has gone to the world cup with Ireland.

But should Munster persist with the likes of McHenry and French when they have a poor injury profile or are not moving to the next level?
You have coaches who are watching them every week in training, watching them play A games and AIL, and seeing what they can do.

Neither of those players have went on to prove the coaches wrong.

On the short list of 9s and locks at Leinster, again you are comparing apples and oranges.
I don’t mean to get into a pissing contest, as Leinster are remarkably more successful of late at developing players, and are the envy of every club, but Leinster have successfully developed 1 9 in the pro era, and even then he finds himself behind an imported player.

If Leinster with their considerably bigger catchment area and private investment at schools level, struggle to develop players in certain positions, why wouldn’t Munster and Connacht?

[ronk]

Another great little earner for Munster, thankfully not at the expense of a home game.

Presale registration is available for anyone interested.

https://www.munsterrugby.ie/2022/11/25/ ... park/#post

I see they checked the full calendar this time around.

[munster#1]

From a purely financial point of view, the Ed Sheeran concerts, the SA match and now the Dermot Kennedy concert are massive.

I don’t know what the actual figures are for each of these, but I would imagine it is over the 7 figure mark.
This is a major result for Munster and one that the marketing team should be very proud of.

Hopefully going forward we see more of this.
I see Lenihan saying that moving the Leinster derby to Cork could add €300k, which might sound small, but it’s the equivalent of 3 years repayments on TP.
Throw in a couple of concerts each summer in TP and Munster could well increase their annual income by close to €1m.