INCOMING MUNSTER CEO Avan Lee is due to be at Páirc Uí Chaoimh this evening to watch Munster play Racing 92 [KO 8pm, Premier Sports] before he officially starts his job on Wednesday.
Recent events have only made his appointment, and the possibilities for how he sees Munster changing, all the more intriguing.
Lee has already spoken about how he wants legendary ex-Munster players to be part of the fold as much as possible, so he surely noted Ronan O’Gara’s most recent couple of columns in the Irish Examiner with particular interest.
One was akin to a love letter to Munster, an expression of hope about the squad being good enough to move things up a few levels if nurtured the right way. The most recent one was a frank criticism of the decision to host tonight’s game in Cork.
In many ways, this sums up where Munster are. There are plenty of ‘green shoots’ for anyone willing to look for them, but there’s no doubt that things haven’t been smooth for Munster in the last couple of seasons, on or off the pitch.
New Zealander Lee will have his own ideas about providing a calmer atmosphere and making sure that everything in the province connects up fluidly, but he has already expressed his optimism about some of the things he has seen from afar.
He name-checked Charlie O’Shea as one of the young homegrown players who offer an exciting glimpse of what Munster can be, with the 20-year-old Cork man now getting his Champions Cup debut tonight.
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There is similar energy around 22-year-old flanker Seán Edogbo getting his first outing in this competition in the number six shirt, while there will be further Champions Cup debuts off the bench for Max Clein and Ben O’Donovan.
And while the Anthony Foley factor has caused some dispute this week – plenty of people, including O’Gara, believe this game should be taking place at Thomond Park – the memory of Axel remains distinctly Munster.
Pairc Ui Chaoimh in Cork. Ken Sutton / INPHO
Ken Sutton / INPHO / INPHO
He epitomised so much of what has made the place so special in the past, and not just because he was an excellent player on winning teams. He was a decent, fiercely loyal, cranky, caring, ambitious, protective, ferocious, and savvy sort of character.
Times change. Teams change too. But no one ever wants Munster to veer too far away from the Axel template.
And so, the day after the 10th anniversary of his passing, everyone associated with Munster would welcome seeing them deliver an Anthony Foley-esque performance full of smarts, work ethic and pride.
They’d love to see the excellent set-piece efforts so far this season continue, with Marnus van der Merwe and Jack Aungier leading the way, before Kieran Brookes brings his nous off the bench.
They’d love to see O’Shea backing his instincts and awareness of space off the back of that, bringing exciting backs like Alex Nankivell and Ben O’Connor, as well as thrilling forwards like Edogbo, Brian Gleeson and Tom Ahern, into the game.
Racing 92 have left some big guns out, but this is still a respectable side that should pack plenty of punch, so Munster will need to be sharp as they bid to get off on the right foot following the disappointment of last season’s Champions Cup pool-stage exit.
With a crowd of around 25,000 expected at the Páirc and the emotion of the occasion, anything other than a win for Clayton McMillan’s men would be a disappointment. A stirring win in memory of Axel would build on the early-season optimism.
MUNSTER: Ben O’Connor; Shay McCarthy, Alex Nankivell, Dan Kelly, Seán O’Brien; Charlie O’Shea, Craig Casey; Jeremy Loughman, Marnus van der Merwe, Jack Aungier; Tom Ahern, Tadhg Beirne (captain); Seán Edogbo, John Hodnett, Brian Gleeson.
Replacements: Max Clein, Josh Wycherley, Kieran Brookes, Fineen Wycherley, Gavin Coombes, Ben O’Donovan, JJ Hanrahan, Jack O’Donoghue.
RACING 92: Geronimo Prisciantelli; Wilfried Hulleu, Vinaya Habosi, Joey Manu, Sione Tupou; Antoine Gibert, Antoine Latrasse; Edouard Jabea Njocke, Diego Escobar, Gia Kharaishvili; Thomas Lainault, Jordan Joseph; Lekima Tagitagivalu, Nicolas Martins, Maxime Baudonne (captain).
Replacements: Yanis Basse, Lehopoame Leota, Demba Bamba, Nathan Hughes, Soumaila Camara, Maxime Machenaud, Sam James, Arthur Roche.
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Munster must build on optimism and honour Axel at the Páirc
INCOMING MUNSTER CEO Avan Lee is due to be at Páirc Uí Chaoimh this evening to watch Munster play Racing 92 [KO 8pm, Premier Sports] before he officially starts his job on Wednesday.
Recent events have only made his appointment, and the possibilities for how he sees Munster changing, all the more intriguing.
Lee has already spoken about how he wants legendary ex-Munster players to be part of the fold as much as possible, so he surely noted Ronan O’Gara’s most recent couple of columns in the Irish Examiner with particular interest.
One was akin to a love letter to Munster, an expression of hope about the squad being good enough to move things up a few levels if nurtured the right way. The most recent one was a frank criticism of the decision to host tonight’s game in Cork.
In many ways, this sums up where Munster are. There are plenty of ‘green shoots’ for anyone willing to look for them, but there’s no doubt that things haven’t been smooth for Munster in the last couple of seasons, on or off the pitch.
New Zealander Lee will have his own ideas about providing a calmer atmosphere and making sure that everything in the province connects up fluidly, but he has already expressed his optimism about some of the things he has seen from afar.
He name-checked Charlie O’Shea as one of the young homegrown players who offer an exciting glimpse of what Munster can be, with the 20-year-old Cork man now getting his Champions Cup debut tonight.
There is similar energy around 22-year-old flanker Seán Edogbo getting his first outing in this competition in the number six shirt, while there will be further Champions Cup debuts off the bench for Max Clein and Ben O’Donovan.
And while the Anthony Foley factor has caused some dispute this week – plenty of people, including O’Gara, believe this game should be taking place at Thomond Park – the memory of Axel remains distinctly Munster.
He epitomised so much of what has made the place so special in the past, and not just because he was an excellent player on winning teams. He was a decent, fiercely loyal, cranky, caring, ambitious, protective, ferocious, and savvy sort of character.
Times change. Teams change too. But no one ever wants Munster to veer too far away from the Axel template.
And so, the day after the 10th anniversary of his passing, everyone associated with Munster would welcome seeing them deliver an Anthony Foley-esque performance full of smarts, work ethic and pride.
They’d love to see the excellent set-piece efforts so far this season continue, with Marnus van der Merwe and Jack Aungier leading the way, before Kieran Brookes brings his nous off the bench.
They’d love to see O’Shea backing his instincts and awareness of space off the back of that, bringing exciting backs like Alex Nankivell and Ben O’Connor, as well as thrilling forwards like Edogbo, Brian Gleeson and Tom Ahern, into the game.
Racing 92 have left some big guns out, but this is still a respectable side that should pack plenty of punch, so Munster will need to be sharp as they bid to get off on the right foot following the disappointment of last season’s Champions Cup pool-stage exit.
With a crowd of around 25,000 expected at the Páirc and the emotion of the occasion, anything other than a win for Clayton McMillan’s men would be a disappointment. A stirring win in memory of Axel would build on the early-season optimism.
MUNSTER: Ben O’Connor; Shay McCarthy, Alex Nankivell, Dan Kelly, Seán O’Brien; Charlie O’Shea, Craig Casey; Jeremy Loughman, Marnus van der Merwe, Jack Aungier; Tom Ahern, Tadhg Beirne (captain); Seán Edogbo, John Hodnett, Brian Gleeson.
Replacements: Max Clein, Josh Wycherley, Kieran Brookes, Fineen Wycherley, Gavin Coombes, Ben O’Donovan, JJ Hanrahan, Jack O’Donoghue.
RACING 92: Geronimo Prisciantelli; Wilfried Hulleu, Vinaya Habosi, Joey Manu, Sione Tupou; Antoine Gibert, Antoine Latrasse; Edouard Jabea Njocke, Diego Escobar, Gia Kharaishvili; Thomas Lainault, Jordan Joseph; Lekima Tagitagivalu, Nicolas Martins, Maxime Baudonne (captain).
Replacements: Yanis Basse, Lehopoame Leota, Demba Bamba, Nathan Hughes, Soumaila Camara, Maxime Machenaud, Sam James, Arthur Roche.
Referee: Karl Dickson [RFU].
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