FULL-ON TRAINING SESSIONS were already a precious commodity ahead of rugby’s restart without a positive Covid case trimming Munster’s schedule last week.
But Chris Farrell has seen enough of Damien De Allende at close quarters to get excited about what Munster’s new supersized, super talented centre combination might deliver.
Well he might, given he will be one half of the imposing 12-13 axis at the disposal of Johann van Graan and Stephen Larkham.
Farrell likes what he sees in De Allende, unwittingly describing the Springbok World Cup-winner with phrases that could easily apply to himself.
“He is quite a skillful ball-playing centre,” says Farrell, “despite a perception that may be a trucker. He certainly is not. He has got a hell of a lot of skills.”
“You can just see his quality straight away. He is someone who comes from top, top pedigree. He is really calm on the ball. I think that’s something I can learn.
He gives himself time. He gives himself space and he makes decision-making quite easy. He looks really calm. He is one of those players who buys himself time – as a centre that is really important.”
The former Grenoble man adds:
“No matter who it is, whether it’s him, Rory (Scannell), or Dan Goggin, they are quality as well. But these lads, RG and Damian, are Coming from a background of being World Cup winners.
“There is an aura about them. They’re going to add in some way. They are those kind of people.”
De Allende’s presence will be helpful as Munster try to build through the end of the current season and the start of the next with a big question mark over Joey Carbery. Attention sent his way by defences will take pressure off JJ Hanrahan and Farrell on either side of him.
Along with RG Snyman, De Allende is Munster’s marquee signing this summer and it will be intriguing to see how he is used within Larkham’s gameplan.
Though on-field minutes were limited, Farrell takes confidence from the amount of time Munster were able to put into the theory of bringing that gameplan on a step further.
“We have definitely seen changes. Even if it’s not ‘changes’, we have been exposed to a lot more.
“A lot of us didn’t get the opportunity to work over prolonged periods going into games and now a lot of us are just way more aware of what we are trying to achieve and what Steve (Larkham) is trying to achieve.
“That’s important. It’s something that we are pretty comfortable with at the minute. We have had a lot of time on it and hopefully we will see it in the next couple of weeks.”
