LAST UPDATE | 25 Apr 2022
MUNSTER ARE CLOSE to confirming the return of Denis Leamy to the province as defence coach, as discussed on today’s edition of The42 Rugby Weekly Extra podcast for members of The42.
Former Munster back row Leamy is currently working as Leinster’s contact skills coach but was identified as the perfect candidate to become his former province’s new defence coach under Graham Rowntree next season.
Gavan Casey was joined by Bernard Jackman and Murray Kinsella on today’s podcast and as the lads discussed Munster’s excellent URC win away to Ulster last weekend, they touched on how the province are in a good place with Rowntree having been confirmed as Johann van Graan’s successor after months of uncertainty.
Rowntree is now looking to finalise his coaching team for next season, with Racing 92 attack coach Mike Prendergast continuing to be linked with returning to Munster in the same role as he is currently doing in France.
Murray: “The mood around Munster has notably lifted over the last couple of weeks, everyone is enjoying the certainty of what’s ahead. There are more appointments to come and I think all three of us have heard that Denis Leamy is coming in as defence coach and they’re still hoping to get Mike Prendergast across the line as attack coach.
“All of that helps in terms of players being mentally in the right space, going hard at the end of this season knowing what’s ahead in the summer. It’s a great place for Munster to be and they’re in a nice position now to go and target home a quarter-final and semi-final in the URC.”
Bernard: “Graham Rowntree is getting this team at a really good time and Leamy coming on as defence coach is really interesting.
“He’s a legend in Munster and has built a coaching career for himself, come up into the Leinster academy, done well, has been involved in age-grade stuff. Then this season, he got Hugh Hogan’s job as Leinster contact skills coach when Hugh went to Scarlets, so he has been in between the academy and senior squad without having a role on match days.
“It has been the next level up and then going back to Limerick to bring through this Munster generation and hopefully the next generation, plus trying to help them win matches with their D is going to be really interesting.
“Getting Prendy done would be a really big coup and would leave Rowntree in a decent spot for next year.”
Gavan: “Do we know how close Prendergast is?”
Bernard: “I’m actually avoiding ringing him because I don’t want to have to either tell the truth or lie here on the podcast, so I’m avoiding him so I can’t get in trouble for leaking it!
“I can confidently say I don’t know, but I do know they want him. It’s obviously complicated when someone’s under contract, it’s not as straightforward.”
Murray: “I had heard there was a bit of positive movement there and Munster would love to get it done. As far as we know, Rowntree in his first interview said Prendergast was the guy he wanted as attack coach.
“Munster definitely want him and he would be a really popular appointment in the squad. He’s an innovative, exciting, energetic, positive presence as a coach and he really empowers players, as we’ve seen in Racing.
“Just look at their attack again last weekend. It would be an unbelievably exciting appointment, particularly given that he’s homegrown in Munster.
“And Leamy, if we’ve all heard right, will be a really popular appointment with the players.”
When the topic of adding a skills coach to that possible Munster coaching ticket came up, Bernard mentioned that Rowntree may keep the coaching numbers tight in his first year in charge, but the lads did flag that current Munster academy boss Ian Costello could play some part in the senior coaching set-up next season.
Elsewhere on today’s podcast, Gavan, Bernard, and Murray dug into Munster’s win in Belfast, Leinster’s narrow defeat to the Sharks in South Africa, Connacht’s win away to the Lions, and Ireland Women’s heavy loss against England in the Six Nations.
To get access to The42 Rugby Weekly Extra, which comes out every Monday with Gavan Casey, Bernard Jackman, and Murray Kinsella, as well as every Wednesday with Eoin Toolan, become a member of The42 at members.the42.ie.
First published today at 17.34
