THE MUCH maligned Munster gameplan appears to be finally taking shape. Rob Penney’s expansive style, the winning of the game last weekend in Perpignan, is slowly, but surely, coming to fruition. This weekend, after the highs of last, Munster take on the Scarlets in Cork on Saturday 21 night at 7.15pm.
Penney’s Munster have won their last seven matches in all tournaments since their 23-29 defeat to Edinburgh at Murrayfield in the European Cup on October 12. The Munstermen top the RaboDirect PRO12 table courtesy of suffering only one reversal so far this season: 19-29 at Treviso in round 3. Munster have won all four matches they have played against Welsh Regions this season.
With Paul O’Connell and Peter O’Mahony unavailable this weekend due to IRFU play management protocols, and with Keith Earls injured, a new look side will take to the field in Musgrave Park in the knowledge that the ‘Penney’ is beginning to drop.
The Munster ‘A’ sides win over Plymouth last weekend showed that not only do Munster have some talent left to come in, but the young guns are now 100 per cent confident in the style with which they are being asked to play.
Players such as Duncan Casey, Barry and Ronan O’Mahony will feature this weekend in a side that will also include Billy Holland, Tommy O’Donnell and CJ Stander.
South African wing Gerhard van den Heever and Andrew Conway returned to Munster training in UL this week after recent injuries and both could play a part as early as this weekend.
With Simon Zebo expected to be back for the Ulster clash on January 3, Munster appear to be an excellent position at the end of 2013 to make 2014 silverware a real prospect.
With Edinburgh defeating Gloucester at Kingshom last weekend, Munster find themselves atop Pool 6 of the Heineken Cup, as well as being first in the Rabo. With competition for places all over the squad, coupled with the news that Donnacha Ryan has resigned with the club for three more years, the future seems to be bright for the men in red.
The only downside, it appears, is that the coffers appear bare in the quest to secure a replacement for Casey Laulala, who will leave at the end of the season. The domestic game however, will once more produce the talent required. No doubt!
