MUNSTER WINGER Diarmuid Kilgallen is looking forward to a big second half to the season after finally shaking off injuries which has limited him to just two appearances since making the short trip down the road from Galway during the summer.
Connacht were reluctant to let the Kildare native go after a strike rate of more than a try every two games. But after arriving with a hamstring problem in the summer, he suffered a wrist injury after making his debut against an All Blacks selection at Thomond Park in November.
The 23-year finally made his competitive debut in Franklin’s Gardens last weekend and crowned it with a brace of tries in the 34-32 loss to Northampton Saints.
“It was a pretty big game to be coming back in for so preparation was a huge one for me, particularly having been out for a while since that All Blacks game. So it was great to get out of the pitch and especially in a ground like that, a big European ground, so it was class. I definitely felt it a couple of days after, it was tough but really enjoyable,” said the former Irish U20.
Kilgallen, a product of Naas RFC and Cistercian College, Roscrea, made his Connacht debut against Munster in 2020 in the final game of the season at the Aviva Stadium, and his first try was also at headquarters when he scored against Ulster in October 2021. He went on to play 23 games for Connacht, scoring 12 tries in the process.
The 6’3” winger has a sharp eye for the line and while he has been frustrated to see so little action in the past year he used his time injured well.
“There’s a lot of frustration there, but you have to use it as an opportunity because you will go insane otherwise,” added Kilgallen. “The frustration is there. But then you park that very quickly, or as quick as you can.
“You put a plan in place because you have to use that time to try and get better, and you actually can get better in front of a laptop or sitting with coaches and just learning as much as you can. You really do have to go out and you can go after things as well in the gym. There were a lot of things that I was able to learn and chase after. So, I actually found that I definitely gained a lot from it, which is strange. You wouldn’t think that you can actually become a better player by not being on the pitch, but I just think I did.”
He has a lot to look forward to for the remainder of the season. The top priority is to get out there, make his league debut away to Dragons on Saturday and play his part in getting Munster from 11th into the knockout places and beyond.
“It’s just small things that we need to fix now that will get us over the line in these fixtures,” he said. “So now it’s definitely not difficult to get up for these things and that momentum, I think that will come as we start to nail these things down. The results will follow and we believe that. And because we believe that, that’s why it’s easy to come into work every morning and do that because everyone is on the same boat, and we all believe that we have the tools.”
The Six Nations will be followed by a return to European action and a mouth-watering trip for Munster to La Rochelle to take on Ronan O’Gara’s side in a knockout Champions Cup game.
“It’s something we haven’t openly discussed but obviously there will be huge excitement for a game like that. That will be a brilliant place to go and play.
“So there will be huge excitement but for now what’s important is playing the Dragons this week, to be honest, given how important that is in the context of our season. So that has been the absolute focus really this week,” added Kilgallen.
Leicester Tigers Dan Kelly heavily linked to Munster, Centre is IQ.
@Kingshu: regardless of him becoming a Munster player or not do you know why Leicester aren’t offering him a new contract?
@Kingshu: Was Dan Kelly not capped for England?
@D Farrell: yes but he’s an Irish gramdparent and he’s done the 3 years without playing. He’s eligible now
@Kingshu: average player
@gareth o sullivan: played 20’s for Ireland if not mistaken
@gareth o sullivan: pretty sure the 3 year change rule only applies to the players country of birth. Does not apply to the ancestry rule?
@gareth o sullivan: We’ve got heaps of talented centres across 3 provinces (sorry Munster), we don’t need the dumped players from an average English team.
@Conor Kelly: no look at Jack dempsey for Scotland. It’s irrelevant anyway as I don’t see him playing for Ireland but it’s important as he doesn’t get counted as niq
@munsterman: Yeah is IQ, better than average, Tigers want to keep him. Munster wanted him last year but looks like Tigers were able to keep hold of him, but haven’t been able too, guess he feels better cahnce of caps in Ireland, Tigers are much better than an average side.
@Kingshu: he was part of that embarrassment of a performance against Toulouse Sunday although you can’t pin it on one player
@Conor Kelly: Incorrect, it applies to all forms of eligibility. For example, even if Nankivell was capped by NZ before moving to Munster, and played in Ireland for 5 years and wasn’t again capped by NZ – he would be eligibility for Ireland.
@Conor Kelly: nope
@Michael Corkery: He is miles behind ringrose aki henshaw osbourne
@Michael Corkery: 25 minutes it took Toulouse to secure a bonus point… And Leicester were at home!!
Been a been a bit of a wait but the lad has started off brilliantly. Hopefully he gets a run of good form now. He did seem a little slow to react at time when ball was being kicked in behind but hopefully that’s just a little ring rust.
So, I’m reading Pieter Steph Du Toit, Dan Kelly, Michael Milne and Lee Barron all linked with Munster.
Anyone else?
@Steve Mccarthy: A. Dupont to replace Murray I hear
@Steve Mccarthy: please god give us a world class prop
@Steve Mccarthy: Whatever about the others PSDuT is most unlikely. Ahern, Coombes, Kendellan, Hodnett, Quinn, O’Donoghue and Gleeson provide substantial backrow cover. Can’t see the IRFU sanctioning an NIQ player in those circumstances not to mention how much he would cost.
@TL55: jordie Barrett got sanctioned
@munsterman: My only thinking behind the reasoning it is that Leinster would be without 3 centres during international windows and as a result would have only 1 recognised senior centre(yes otheres can play there). All the players you named maybe 2 at best are/will most likely be internationals next season so hence why they may not sanction it but I’d personally love if they did. Having Psdt having a direct impact in training on the young Munster br/sr would be a great educational growth device for not only Munster but Irish rugby. Lads would be like a sponge to his greatness.
@Ian1989: * was ment to say will not be internationals next year most likely.
@Ian1989: I’m 100% behind having players of the calibre of Barrett & psdt being allowed sign for Irish provinces if the money is available.
@munsterman: Yeah me too and from what I heard it was Barrett that contacted Leinster first and said he’d like to play for them due to his family history in Meath. Then Leinster went to the irfu(both would be fools if they didn’t get him in tbh). Again the bs in Leinster will bel warning so so much off him which is of huge benefit to Irish rugby.
@Ian1989: * the backs in Leinster would learn so so much off him. Apologies typing and walking is beyond my capacity it seems.
@munsterman: Barrett was essentially replacing Charlie Ngatai who was there the previous two seasons.
@Carmine Lorenzo: I’m just replying to the above poster who listed off a group of br’s that psdt might affect, some of them very young lads who won’t play every game week to week. You could say psdt would be a direct replacement for pom if he retires
@TL55: supposedly if o mahoney retires munster will be allowed sign big. They have identified psdt. When stander retired du toit was will to join munster but irfu said no for some reason but agreed to let us sign jason Jenkins. I think psdt current world player of the year would make brillant sense if o mahoney leaves he can play 5,6,7, so alway place for him to play and not hold back others
@munsterman: On a short term basis only
@Treaty Jim: As another commenter said here our needed is greater in the front row. LH: Loughman is really our only good quality player. Kilcoyne too injury prone. Milne coming because he’s not good enough for Leinster. Hooker: L Barron 4/5th choice at Leinster while our current 2 regulars are average. TH: after Jaegar we’re relying on to aging players as Salanoa can’t stay fit.
@TL55: think you may be surprised by barron
@David Clarke: Yeah, I think Barron will be good for Munster. He was very unlucky to be injured when Gus got his chance, could have easily been Barron getting those Ireland caps instead.
As a fan I can certainly see the attraction of signing PSDT who will surely improve any team, but surely Munster’s greatest need is for a TH if Salanoa doesn’t recover; and a LH if he does. (Don’t know how any of this can be accommodated without changes to the NIQ rules). As a Finance guy I am confused about the apparent inconsistency between recurring complaints from some Munster fans about their budget being cut, and a proposal to sign a WPOTY and double RWC winner which will presumably cost a shed load of euros.
@Kevin Ryan: salanoa is back in training. he made a social media post detailing his troubles the last 18 months, was primarily due to infection as opposed to the knee. hes had 5 surgeries but said he’s all good now. if murray, POM, and archer retires, that frees up a significant amount of wages to be invested. the three of them would have been amongst your bigger earners.
@Kevin Ryan: might be getting it financed privately. Isn’t that what happened with Snyman and De Allende? If I were the IRFU, I’d be doing all I could to persuade Slimani to move South and work with young Tightheads down there. For all the talk of Snyman and Barrett, Slimani has worked out as a fantastic signing for Leinster.
@Niall English: great to hear that salanoa is on the mend, after 18 long months it would be great for him and munster to see him out on the pitch and showing his true potential.
@cian nolan: Ze McManus bais.
Would love to see a back 3 of kilgallen, shay mccarthy and pa Campbell, 3 seriously talented youngfellas
@Cian Halley: id love to see a back three of kilgallen and nash on the wing and abrahams at full kick. serious pace in that back 3.
@Niall English: With Daly covering from the bench or in on rotation. If everyone is fit it’s a great back 3. Haley hopefully can rediscover some form as well. Fingers crossed for him.
@Colm McLaughlin: oh i wasnt really suggesting it was a viable long term option yet, but id like to see it tried as a combination to see if it works. prendergast likes his wingers to come in field for strike plays, i think those 3 would offer that in abundance and be a real handful. but yeah daly could bench as he’d cover wing and full back. just an interesting combination that could work. in the same way id also like to see a backrow of coombes, hodnett/kendellen, and gleeson. see if that would work and be somewhat balanced.
Peter steph du toit also linked,
@Treaty Jim: handy bench option. Whilst I’d love to see PSDT play for munster as he is a generational player who will lift the whole team, a part of me would rather munster use the money for his wages and put it into underage coaches and development pathways. I know it’s important to be competitive now in order to get the fans on board but we need to get our foundations sorted
@scott casey: agree. Our first priority is a loosehead who can scrum like Bleuler. Milne seems like Loughman, good around the field but not sure he can hold a scrum. We don’t need any more lock/backrows. Sure PSDT would make us stronger but in an area where we’re arguably strong enough with plenty coming through.
@Michael Corkery: any idea if we have any looseheads in the academy that are showing potential. I remember hearing good things about foxe but I think he is a tighthead
@scott casey: my understanding is at LH the cupboard is truly bare but I’m open to correction on that.
@Michael Corkery: grim
@scott casey: 2 LHs in the Academy. Kieran Ryan, whose been in match day squads but not really trusted for more than a few minutes. George Hadden – came through Leinster, but Clubs rather than Schools. Was initially the starting LH in the 2023 Irish U20s, but the scrum improved when they switched to a combo of Ronan Foxe at TH and Paddy McCarthy at LH. Wish the lad well, but I’m not overly-optimistic. Emmett Calvey the next guy to get excited about imo. Would be in the U20s 6N squad (backing up Usanov) but for injury, having played in a number of the U20 games last year
Munster poaching Connacht players, imagine it was Leinster taking two of their best backs, we would never hear the end of the whingeing.