BERNARD JACKMAN BELIEVES Munster need “more funding” if they are they are to return to Europe’s top table in the near future, and says the southern province are instead at risk of being significantly weakened in an off-season in which they will lose several key players.
On Monday’s Rugby Weekly Extra podcast for The 42 subscribers, Jackman joined Murray Kinsella and Gavan Casey to discuss Munster’s superb victory over the Bulls in Pretoria, with Graham Rowntree’s side becoming the first European club ever to beat their hosts at Fortress Loftus.
It was one of exceedingly few occasions this season on which Rowntree was able to call upon something approaching a full-strength squad — albeit one still lacking several key individuals — and Munster duly upset the Pretorians to overtake them into third place in the URC standings.
Jackman, who co-commentated on the game for RTÉ, drew the ire of a portion of Munster supporters the following morning when he tweeted alongside his Sunday Independent column, “We need Four strong provinces not one. But Leinster aren’t to blame for the current mess the others find themselves in.”
We need Four strong Provinces not One. But Leinster aren’t to blame for the current mess the others find themselves in. https://t.co/uwPrtNgy87 #irishrugby
— Bernard Jackman (@bernardjackman) April 21, 2024
A number of Munster fans on X stressed that Munster were the reigning URC champions and had won a trophy more recently than Leinster, which would hardly constitute them being “a mess”.
On Rugby Weekly Extra, Jackman clarified that he thinks highly of this Munster team when the majority of its key players are fit, and that the mess to which he referred as it pertains to Munster is that they are set to lose a number of those very players in the off-season without being able to replace them to a sufficient extent to challenge in next season’s Champions Cup.
Jackman also stressed his belief that outside centre Antoine Frisch will be among the players to depart the province in the summer, irrespective of attack coach Mike Prendergast’s suggestion to the contrary last week.
“Absolutely, they got riddled with injuries this year and it was a freak year”, Jackman said of Munster, “but realistically, when I look at that squad, and when I look at next season’s squad in particular, that’s why I said it was a bit of a mess.
Frisch will be gone. There’s a game being played here and it’s around negotiating a transfer fee. And absolutely, Mike and Munster have to try and get as much as possible.
“I would be absolutely shocked if Frisch [stays]. And speaking to people in France, they’re assuming he’ll be gone. He’ll probably get capped for France this summer.
“That’s not Munster’s fault — but it’s a mess when it happens, right? It’s a disaster: they’ve got a brilliant player and he’s probably going to be gone.”
Jackman cited the already-confirmed departures of RG Snyman, Joey Carbery, the rumoured exits or retirements of Simon Zebo and Dave Kilcoyne, and the losses this season of test wings Keith Earls and Andrew Conway as being a significant talent drain from Rowntree’s squad.
Munster will at least partly counteract that with the signings of out-half Billy Burns and wing Diarmuid Kilgallen, but Jackman contends that they will need further recruitment if they are to possess a squad capable of progressing beyond the early knockout stages of next season’s Champions Cup.
“So, what I’m saying is, okay, you could cross your fingers and hope that you have less injuries than they’ve had — which obviously was pretty extreme — but realistically for me, in terms of becoming a European-winning squad, it looks a bit threadbare.
This year, the squad that played against the Bulls can go toe to toe with most teams in Europe. But unfortunately, rugby will tell you that there’s going to be attrition and you need backup. I think that’s where they look light.
“That’s what I’m [arguing]: I want Munster to get more funding to give Rowntree and Prendergast the chance to not just win a URC but to go toe to toe with the La Rochelles, the Toulouses, et cetera.
“And I know it’s not simple because money is in short supply but I would actually argue that it’s a great time to go to the market now because you’ll get really good players for a good price.”
Elsewhere on the podcast, Jackman, Kinsella and Casey discussed the growth of the AIL, Leinster’s heavy defeat to the Lions, Ulster’s stroke of fortune against Cardiff, Connacht’s Matthew Devine-infused destruction of Zebre, and the Women’s Six Nations.
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