CURRENTLY ON A five-game losing streak, the outlook for Munster is grim at present.
Even Thomond Park is providing little in the way of comfort for Anthony Foley’s men at present, with their three most recent fixtures in the Limerick venue ending in defeat. January could be the making and breaking of the campaign for Munster.
Record:
Guinness Pro12 – Won 6, Lost 4
Champions Cup – Won 1, Lost 2
Take a trip to Thomond Park these days and you will encounter major amounts of pessimism. Despite having been offered a one-year extension to his contract as head coach, Anthony Foley is facing major criticism from the province’s supporters.
“We’d imagine there’s a lot of criticism out there, you don’t have to go looking too far to find it,” said Foley after Sunday’s home loss to Leinster.
“You know it’s there and you have to try and get on with the game and do the best job you can do. Everybody has an opinion, but not everybody has the full facts about what’s going on. You’ve just got to deal with it and not get too upset about it.”
Many have given up hope that Munster can take anything from this season, but Foley and his players obviously cannot afford to think in that manner. They will instead target a win against Ulster on 2 January in Belfast to relaunch their Pro12 campaign and shift them up the table from their current position of sixth.
Three Champions Cup fixtures next month (Stade Français home and away, Treviso away) will be seen as winnable. If that can be achieved, Munster have a chance of making it through to the quarter-finals.
This is a low:
Last weekend’s defeat in Limerick to Leinster hurt deeply. In front of a big, vocal Thomond Park crowd [something that is increasingly rare], there was much intent and desire from Munster, but familiar failings too.
The sheer lack of composure with ball in hand once they arrive into the opposition 22, the failings of the maul from close-range [so often a pillar of strength], a stuttering set-piece and costly errors leading to conceded tries.
The defeat to Leinster followed two Champions Cup losses to Leicester Tigers, again despite Munster having more than enough possession to win both games. Lots of their build-up work in attack has been good, but unless Munster can start converting in the 22, their season will end in ruins.
“We are working hard to rectify them,” said Foley of the errors in the opposition 22 after the Leinster game. “We’re working hard to not do it and unfortunately we’re still doing it.
“It’s just groundhog day in here after this game.”
As good as it gets:
While the current malaise over Munster can make it difficult to pick out any highlight, Foley’s men did make a promising start to the season. They won seven of their opening eight games, including an away victory over the Ospreys and home successes over Glasgow, Ulster and Treviso in the Champions Cup.
That run was largely achieved with most rugby fans’ and pundits’ eyes on Ireland and the World Cup, meaning that their complete downturn in form is all most people have seen.
Whatever about outside perceptions, Munster need to ensure that the high points of their season lie ahead, even in the next fortnight. A win away to Ulster on Saturday and victory in Paris against Stade Français a week later can turn their season around.
Try of the season so far:
Munster’s entertaining 32-28 win over Ulster at the end of October saw them attack clinically to score five tries, each of them of a high quality. Our favourite was the set-piece effort below.
The clip above starts on the second phase of a lineout attack from Munster, with Tomás O’Leary bouncing back left against the grain and linking with James Cronin, who feeds Andrew Conway to score.
Munster have been doing lots of clever stuff from set-piece attack this season, coming back down the shortside and using dummy loop plays. However, the instances where it clicks like above have been fewer and fewer in recent weeks.
Player of the Season so far: CJ Stander
Even during Munster’s torrid run, number eight CJ Stander has continued to deliver excellent performances. His ball carrying is exceptional and still improving, while his defensive effort is also getting better all the time.
Securing Stander on a new two-year contract is perhaps the best business Munster have done so far this season, and Foley will hope that the return of the badly-missed Tommy O’Donnell will now free up Stander to be even more impactful.
Jack O’Donoghue and Dave O’Callaghan have filled in well at openside in O’Donnell’s absence, but they are more effective elsewhere in the back row. The Tipp man’s comeback should allow Munster to have a more ideal balance at the back of the scrum.
Stander’s promotion to the role of captain in Peter O’Mahony’s injury-enforced absence has been well deserved, although he is still learning the art of influencing and managing referees. If the rest of his all-round improvement is anything to go by, that will come too.
Coach calls:
Munster appear set to give Foley another year in charge of the province, although many of their supporters are clamouring for a change of faces in the backroom.
Munster born and bred, a double Heineken Cup winner with the province and clearly massively passionate about all things Munster, Foley has admitted the current circumstances are among the toughest of his rugby life.
“It’s been a tough month,” said Foley last weekend. “You don’t have to have days or weeks about it; it’s been horrendous and we can’t hide away from the fact that we need to get a win, so that’s another tough week.
“Another hard look at ourselves and try to rectify where we are going and try to figure out how to get that win that’ll hopefully reignite our season.”
Unfortunately, professional sport is not always about caring the most and the truth is that Foley is struggling to get the best out of this Munster team. Poor form from his players is letting the former number eight down, but it’s his duty to help those men perform.
Munster’s squad speak highly of Foley’s coaching, both tactically and technically, though the question marks centre around his ability to man manage and motivate. Why are experienced players dropping the ball and missing rucks in the opposition 22?
This is certainly the greatest challenge of Foley’s leadership yet, and his ability to salvage the season will be important in his career. Foley is not working with a Munster squad of a similar ability as those who were Heineken Cup winners, but supporters want to see signs of progress at least.
The big question in 2016:
Ian Keatley was left out of last weekend’s defeat to Leinster, with an unfit Tyler Bleyendaal instead handed the 10 shirt. The Kiwi is an excellent player when physically right, but he was completely ineffective as he appeared to avoid kicking and contact.
What happens next with Keatley is an important question for Munster in 2016. Foley has backed him as his first-choice out-half, but the former Connacht man looks to be struggling for confidence.
Rugby is a team game, but having in-form halfbacks is perhaps more pivotal than any other position. Conor Murray has slightly struggled with injury and Keatley with form, meaning Munster have lacked direction at nine and 10 too often.
Rory Scannell has shown promise as a playmaker, so does Foley turn to the youngster? Is Keatley to be backed again? Or do they stick with Bleyendaal as he manages a troublesome quad injury?
