MUNSTER HEAD COACH Graham Rowntree says that the province are actively seeking short-term cover at loosehead prop, a position in which four of his first-team squad are currently unavailable due to injury.
During last Saturday’s defeat to the Stormers, Jeremy Loughman was added to a treatment room which already includes long-term absentees Josh Wycherely (neck) and Mark Donnelly (ankle), as well as Dave Kilcoyne who is yet to feature this season having picked up an ankle injury while recovering from shoulder surgery.
That leaves only academy players Kieran Ryan and George Hadden as specialist options at loosehead, while John Ryan may switch across from tighthead for Saturday’s meeting with the Sharks in Durban.
And Rowntree made no bones about Munster’s need to draft in further cover at the position when he was asked if he had explored the market in the days since Loughman’s injury.
“Of course, I have, yeah,” said Rowntree. “That’s an urgent thing to be getting on with. We’ll see how that unfolds.”
It remains unclear as to whether David Humphreys’ ban on the provinces signing non-Irish-qualified props will extend to a scenario in which Munster require a medical joker.
But a player from within the Irish system may better suit Munster anyway given the prospective new signing’s role as a lineout lifter. Munster’s lineout runs very similarly to that of Ireland and, by extension, Emerging Ireland, who recently spent a fortnight under Paul O’Connell’s tutelage in South Africa.
Munster’s version of the system, however, has dramatically failed in the province’s last two games.
Against the Stormers in particular, Munster won just eight of their own 14 put-ins for a rate of 57%, blowing several attacking opportunities and gifting chances to their hosts in Cape Town.
Their 79% success rate for the season is the lowest in the URC so far this term, and head coach Rowntree admitted that there has been a mental element to his side’s shortcomings in the lineout as well as technical issues.
“Everyone and anyone within this group who’s involved with the line out would say that [with] the lineout, there’s a lot of moving parts,” Rowntree said. “It’s not just one thing or one person.
“Y’know, there’s a lot going on. I’m not gonna throw anyone under the bus here. There’s a lot of little things that we’ve gotta do better.
And y’know what? When you’re in against teams — particularly the last two games — with good lineout defences and a couple of things don’t go your way, you get a bit panicky. And that’s the guy calling the lineout, and that’s the guy throwing the ball in.
“Y’know, it all becomes quite tense and that can affect the flow of things.
“It’s being in the moment. It’s being clinical in the last inch of a lineout throw, the last inch of a lineout jump. As I said to you, when a couple of them have gone against you, you can start doubting yourself as a lineout thrower and a lineout caller.
“But there’s lots of things that we’ve been working on. But, no, we have to be better in that area. There’s no one shying away from that.”
Should never have let James Cronin go !
@Diarmuid O’Rourke: that was a big mistake
@Diarmuid O’Rourke: the same James Cronin who hasn’t started a game this season? Munster had a choice to make and backed youth. If Munster kept Cronin and dropped a young lad, people would have moaned too. Can’t win
@5sZl1dX2: they still have Kilcoyn in their squad. Cronin would have been a better option
@Michael Corkery: He wouldn’t really though. There’s a reason Kilcoyne has 50+ Irish caps and Cronin has 3. Cronin got added to the long list of ex-Munster players that people view as top class when Munster decide to get rid of them
@5sZl1dX2: how many games has Kilcoyn played since Rowntree is head coach?
@Michael Corkery: 18 before picking up an injury that currently has him sidelined
@5sZl1dX2: which Munster Loosehrad would’ve played more minutes for Leicster Tigers than Cronin.
@Diarmuid O’Rourke: I’m not a Leicester coach so I can’t answer that but to suggest you’d let a 50 cap international go for a player that obtained a total of 3 caps is ridiculous. Kilcoyne’s form at the time was excellent and he was still regularly making Irish squads.
It’s incredible how Munster have gone into every season for about the last 7 or 8 years with such a substandard front row. Every summer it is never rectified. The cycle continues, beaten up a stick in the front row in the big games that matter. Munster’s pathetic record in Europe in that time speaks for itself. Wasting money on foreign centres and locks when it should have been invested on top class front row players.
@Aidan Farrell: To be fair, it is an Irish problem, not a Munster one. The ban on NIQ will push the provinces but we won’t see the benefit of it until after the next RWC.
@Aidan Farrell: It’s been explained countless times, the IRFU won’t sanction the signing of an NIQ front row player even though it’s a glaringly obvious weakness. I know for a fact Munster have had numerous players lined up over the years and Nucifora would not give the green light. It’s extremely frustrating when you see Ulster and Leinster both sign NIQ props in recent years. I wouldn’t hold out much hope for any change, Humphreys has already said he won’t be green lighting any NIQ front row signings
@Paul Ennis: that NIQ front row ban will be counter productive imo. Any IQ prop can now basically charge the provinces what they want because they know there’s no alternative
@5sZl1dX2: dont Leinster have a French prop!
@Justin Flynn: Who replaced a South Sea Islander. Also NIQ. Blanket bans imo make little sense as like Munster now provinces will from time to time be short in a particular position. If that happens to be prop surely there’s a duty of care to academy players not to have to compete with the likes of Furlong, Antonio, Porter, Genge etc
@5sZl1dX2: Munster had the same options but chose to get a second row or a back. ! Bad decisions I’m
Afraid can’t blame other provinces
@Aidan Farrell: for such bad players, they have the 3rd best scrummaging record in the URC so far this season, the same position as last season. On the contrary, Leinster have dropped from last seasons 9th, to join the other Irish teams in the bottom 5 (where they were last season).
@5sZl1dX2: it’s amazing how all Munster’s woes are because of Leinster. Strange that.
@John Buckley: they mullered the leinster front rows in croker a few weeks ago.
@Matt Gilsenan: Munster didn’t have any option. They had numerous front row players lined over the years but were told no, only a second row/back row or centre would be signed off
@Stuart Z Quinn: where did I say that? I said Nucifora wouldn’t sanction the signings but did for Leinster and Ulster around the same time. If you take that as blaming Leinster, I don’t know what to say
@Niall English: incorrect. Leinster were very dominant power wise but it was deemed illegal by the ex scrum half referee…
@Niall English: Some “mullering” alright. so much so, that Munster came away with zero points and a good old arse reddening on the scoreboard to boot! Good thing the league table is decided by “mullerings” in the scrum.
@Aidan Farrell: pathetic record in Europe? They’ve not won anything but they’ve largely not been crashing out Europe or anything. Doing better than a lot of other teams. Why are you so bitter and hateful when it comes to Munster?
@Alex Deeney: oh another, its the referee and not the fact porter is a below average scrummager at loose head side. good tight head, poor loose head.
@Aidan Farrell: what have leinster won recently?
@Brenda Collins: it’s absolutely ridiculous the hatred or bitterness some fans have between these provinces. There’s slaging off for a bit of banter then there’s rubbish like this …just can’t comprehend it .we all want our teams to win but honestly all this crap about D4/Munster/Leinster ..move on…
@Alex Deeney: numerous referees at both provincial and international level have being penalising Porter,s scrummaging for the last few years, they can’t be all wrong
@Liam23: ah it just pains them too much to take off the blinkers and admit this.
@Stuart: most Leinster fans are c u next Tuesdays tbf
@Brenda Collins: knocked out at the last 16 stage 3 out of the past 4 years…not exactly the record you suggest they have
@5sZl1dX2: Just like you
@Alex Deeney: “Rinsed” I believe is the term you’re looking for.
@Stuart Z Quinn: even more amazing that in spite of all Leinster success Munster still remain at the forefront of Leinster minds!!
@Liam23: actually they can. A number of international props have called them out, and in particular Wayne Barnes, as being objectively wrong
@James: you’re entitled to your opinion as am I
@Alex Deeney: Stop speaking sense. BJ botha and Mike Ross have also spoken of similar examples of the Leinster props getting ridden sideways by refs in international games.
@Brenda Collins: Ah come on Brenda, even the most one eyed fan would say Munster’s recent record in Europe is absolutely woeful tbf.
@Stuart: Indeed! In real life the adults can intervene when the children stop playing nicely but here we just have to stay quiet and wait until they tire themselves out
@Carmine Lorenzo: the only thing going sideways is porters arse!
@Liam23: agree it’s a problem. The scrum is wheeling at times because he’s going forward so much compared to the other side
@Carmine Lorenzo: yep and Jackman said he’s almost over doing it compared to the other side of the scrum. Possibly better off attacking it less for a while so refs change their view. That, plus no referee is an ex front row
@Alex Deeney: never heard so much nonsense.
@Niall English: yet you’ll be on the other side of the fence when you’re cheering the same lads on in a few weeks against NZ
@Niall English: Hahahahaha. Love it Niall :)
@Alex Deeney: does it make a difference if the ref played left outside or left inside, he’s the ref and has the final word.
@Stuart: well said
@Stuart: I’m afraid you’re on the wrong site if you’re hoping for that, Stuart. And now today, with the Irish selection to be announced, we can look forward to a slew of ‘a player from my province should have been picked ahead of a player from another province (usually Leinster’ outrage
@5sZl1dX2: any proof of these so called declined signings?
@mark sheehan: and that’s why scrums are a mess
@mark sheehan: I would say that an ex-international, heavily capped prop (Ross, Botha etc) are indeed far more qualified than some refs re the intricacies and workings of a scrum.
@TL55: I agree here that the blanket ban makes little sense alright. Seems a little over eager from Humphreys. But if you’re referencing Leinster they absolutely need a NIQ TH prop in there. We were developing Aungier and Salanoa. Aungier decided against a new deal and opted to move west and Munster pinched Salanoa on the sly. Abaladze had to be released too as he became NIQ. Porter moved back to LH for the good of Ireland. All this left Leinster short at TH, through little fault of their own. Can’t just horse out THs overnight. Aside from Slimani, we’ve only Clarkson behind Furlong. And he’s still very raw but he’s being back ahead of Slimani this season in an effort to accelerate development. We’ve also taken in 2-3 academy THs so they are actively looking at resolving this. No moaning.
@James: were in a quarter final in 2022, and have been dealing with near constant injury crisis since. I have no problem admitting the messes up their campaign early stages last year but it’s stupid to suggest their european track record “pathetic” without ignoring the squad challenges the province has had to manage over the last two seasons. And in that time they also won a URC. So while they could be better, the way some people on here characterize it would suggest they’re a some kind of parasite basket case and that is wild to me.
Get Usanov in there asap – could use the URC game time
@Owen ODonoghue: Not a bad shout… on loan mind ;)
Very much doubt Munster will be allowed an NIQ medical joker, after all Ulster at TH were down to one senior TH and have had to sign two Championship players Barrett 4 games, O’Connor 0 games. Not the level needed, but best can get currently. I suspect Munster will have to go to the RFU championship for an extra player, or try and get a loan. Surprises me that Ed Byrne went to Cardiff and wasnt picked up by Ulster or Munster.
@Kingshu: in fairness Rowntre said they are looking for cover, it’s the author using the term medical joker.
@Kingshu: I certainly agree on Ed Byrne. Weird one that also that there was so little comment on his departure
Special concessions for Munster as always.
Ulster lose Moore for good, and have had to move O’Toole back to tighthead against the wishes of Farrell.
Leinster have lost all of their senior hookers to injuries, yet they just get on with it and use their academy players in the most high risk position on the pitch.
@teuO6nLS: hard to say there’s a special concession until they have actually signed someone. At present Munster have Kieran Ryan (5 appearances – 182 mins) and George Hadden (0 appearances) available at loosehead. There’s 3 looseheads involved in every single matchday squad – starter, substitute and travelling reserve
@teuO6nLS: McCarthy at hooker was so good on Saturday he should make the November squad, so your moan is meaningless.
@kieran horgan: He isn’t moaning though. Just stating fact. Leinster dealt an incredible blow with 4 senior hookers all injured….they back the academy guys. No mess. No fuss.
@Carmine Lorenzo: McCarthy is imo at least as good as 2 of the 4. Bit to go for him to challenge Sheehan and Kelleher. That can’t be said of the 2 remaining Munster LHs.
@Carmine Lorenzo: they do back the academy and fair play for the wealth of resources, much to be admired. That being said that was a really nice MOM performance from RJ Snyman last weekend.
@teuO6nLS: Special treatment by who?
@Mike D: Yeah RG was brilliant wasn’t he. Our academy guys like COT and Spicer will hopefully learn a lot from him. Hopefully he stays lucky injury wise and Leinster get the ok to extend his deal. Big hole with depth at lock between the senior pros and then academy guys.
Baffles me why they let Cronin and French go and chose to keep Archer and Salanoa who has been injured for almost 2 seasons now. They were lucky to get Ryan back from Wasps who exited administration. Kilcoyne is constantly injury prone 34, the writing is on the wall there. Jager seems to be getting injured a lot too. He can’t get a run of games under his belt. On a positive note how good was that poach from Kieran Ryan against Stormers last weekend. Incredible steal for a prop coming off the bench and has had very few minutes at top level rugby. He’ll gain a huge amount of confidence from that going forward.
@Harry O’ Callaghan: it shows what you know when Cronin plays in a different position to the other 3. French was an absolute wash out. 2 Munster appearances and 4 for Ulster says it all really
Restore James French to his best position?
Swear he was never a prop. Should have bought one with him, cant do much now, dope
Something awry in Munster. Injury profile is out of whack completely. The training regime has to be part of the problem…. Or they are just mired in bad luck. It will be a long afternoon on Saturday.