MUNSTER WILL START regrouping around the middle of July to start preparing for the new season when they will try to defend their URC crown and have a crack at winning the Heineken Champions Cup for the first time since 2008.
They will return with a spring in their steps after their title-winning exploits in South Africa but one person attack coach Mike Prendergast does not expect to see rocking up to pre-season training at their High Performance Centre in Limerick in mid-July is out-half Jack Crowley.
Indeed, Prendergast, whose return to his native province after a decade in France was one of the cornerstones of Munster ending their 12-year title famine, does not expect to see Crowley until the end of the year because he expects the Cork man to be involved in the World Cup.
Crowley, who won the first of his three Irish caps against Fiji last November, has been included in Andy Farrell’s extended World Cup training squad and having spearheaded Munster’s URC success with a drop goal winner against Leinster in the semi-final and a top class display in last weekend’s final against the Stormers, Prendergast is tipping him to have an impact in France this autumn.
“Jack is an outstanding player, just has a brilliant temperament. The good thing is that there’s a high ceiling and still room for improvement.
“He’s got the character, has the mental attributes, and he’s a tough boy as well. He’s a good leader, a good footballer, and has a big future.
“Something that’s been quite positive is he’s played in a couple of positions, playing 12 gives you an appreciation of what’s needed as a 10. He’s been excellent everywhere we’ve asked him to play,” said Prendergast.
The attack coach said that having come together as a new management last summer and fire-fighting from early on when they lost five of their opening seven games, they are looking forward to an extended pre-season this time round.
“We’ll come in around the middle of July, the boys will have five or six weeks off. There’ll be a bit of management around that, because our league doesn’t start until 21 October.
“The long pre-season, it gives you more time with the players. Hopefully we’ll have some lads in the World Cup squad that will open opportunities for young guys, and it gives us an opportunity to work with them and see how they are.
“Fortunately, we train as 50, in terms of our senior team and academy, so they touch the ball a lot through training, and we get a good visual on how they’re doing and progressing.
“It’s something that’s been quite positive for us, having a very mixed group in terms of age and experience.”
The former Munster scrum-half, who had coaching roles with Grenoble, Oyonnax, Stade Francais and Racing 92 in addition to playing stints at Gloucester and Bourgoin, said the success at the weekend and the superb homecoming in Thomond Park on Monday night were the sort of things he came home for.
“Yeah, it was for days like this,” said the Limerick native, whose brother Gearoid will take charge of the Munster academy from this summer.
“I tasted a small bit as a player in 2006 and through those years, great years when it was all starting off. If I’m honest, I didn’t see it happening as quickly as this, but we’ll take it.
“One thing I know is how hard it is to win a trophy. It’s incredibly hard. I remember three seasons ago getting to a final of the Champions Cup against Exeter and losing. It’s a tough one getting to a final and losing it, so we’re just delighted.
“Delighted for the supporters, a lot of the lads have been around, the likes of George Murray (performance analyst) has been here 20 years and has seen a lot, I’m just delighted for things like that,” added Prendergast.
