UP UNTIL THE late injury sustained by BJ Botha in Munster’s impressive 27-13 win over London Irish last night, everything appeared to be running like clockwork for the southern province.
Two wins over Premiership opponents, the try-count stacking up thanks to an abundance of wingers, JJ Hanrahan is snapping at Ian Keatley’s heels, players are straining at the leash to be involved and boasting about the toughest pre-season they’ve ever endured.
Even the old chestnut of that gameplan – surely a dirty word in the Penney household by now – seems to be more of an accepted reality rather than an affront to tradition. Everything was settling down nicely.
“There’s an element of that,” Rob Penney told TheScore.ie this week.
“There’s no doubt that when you start in a new organisation people are always feeling each other out and making sure they’re not doing anything contrary to what they’re after.
“Hopefully we’re over that and beyond it now and we’re in an environment that’s dynamic and interactive and trying to get the best out of this group for Munster.”
Botha’s knee injury has ruled him out for at least a month, but with a September schedule consisting of a two-game training camp in Italy (courtesy of some decent lobbying from Niall O’Donovan) book-ended by home clashes with Edinburgh and the Dragons; Munster must fancy their chances of taking a 100% record into the October meeting with Leinster in Thomond Park.
Not that they’ll be getting ahead of themselves. For every plus, Penney is keen to “temper” the emotional swell. That goes double for last week’s win over Gloucester, of which he said:
“I’m not quite sure how motivated or excited Gloucester were to be there. It might have been more of a recce for them, getting a look for the Heineken Cup in six or eight weeks time.”
Yet he added that the final duties of head of fitness, Bryce Kavanagh, had put his side: “Light years ahead of where we were last year - the boys have really embraced what we were working on last year.
“The key is it manifests itself out on the rugby field and that’s what it’s all about.”
The opening month of the season should give Penney’s Munster opportunity to settle into a rhythm.
We expect them to offer a more settled mix of the chalk and cheese game-plans which were on offer last season. Not because Penney’s ideal has changed, or Ronan O’Gara’s controlling grip has been released. But because the early portion of last season was a crash course in the skills Penney wanted to be instinctive with his players.
The harsh learning curve is over and Munster can begin to rise again.
