FOR the first time in years, the most talented depth within the Munster squad could put the place of Leinster’s prodigal son in doubt.
Munster’s opening two games of the URC have seen the province earn two back-to-back bonus point wins and the top spot in the URC table. Although neither of Munster’s performances were perfect, the positives and negatives from each game are easy to identify for fans and journalists alike.
Munster has enjoyed the stand out performances of select players in the URC’s opening two rounds, namely the workings of Gavin Coombes, Crag Casey and the retuning RG Snyman have filled Munster fans up with excitement and anticipation ahead of the club’s most promising season in recent memory.
However the starting XV for Munster is anything but set in stone, with different players being tried out in certain positions. These different players offer contrasting playing styles with divergent results, a perfect example of this is the often underrated Dan Goggin
Goggin was selected to start at the second centre position for Munster’s URC opener against the Sharks, and his inclusion brought Munster some benefits. Standing at 6ft 2 inches and weighing in at a little under 97kg, Goggin offered some significant stature while defending the most commonly attacked portion if the pitch.
Goggin also displayed his ability to exploit the space left unmarked by the Sharks back three, sending a beautifully weighted grubber kick to set up Simon Zebo’s second try.
Yet a significant number of handling errors by Goggin in key scenarios throughout the game resulted in Munster forgoing opportunities against the Sharks. As a result, Munster head coach Johann Van Graan went with veteran winger Keith Earls at the 13 position ahead of the Stormers game.
By swapping out Goggin’s stature for Earls’ experience and rugby IQ, Van Graan hoped to remedy the difficulties experienced by Goggin the week prior. As a specialist winger, Earls’ future role as a 13 is unlikely, especially with the imminent return of Chris Farrell.
But, similar dilemma’s are on the horizon for Munster. Joey Carbery’s past performances for the province have been relatively underwhelming considering the caliber of player he was touted to become. Now with 24 Irish caps and 28 Munster caps, the out-half’s development seems to be for the benefit of his international career rather than his club one.
Yet in Munster’s last two URC games, Carbery, who is approaching his 26th birthday, has been replaced by second choice out-half Ben Healy around the 60 minute mark. Not only is this a worrying sign for such a highly regarded out-half to not play more than an hour, but it appears to be a predetermined tactic on behalf of Van Graan by rotating his 10’s at the same stage in the game two weeks in a row.
“Right from the offset we said he’s not guaranteed a place in the team, just like every other player he’s going to have to work and perform to get into that starting team.”
Munster Head Coach Johann Van Graan to Simon Zebo
As the quote above suggest, Van Graan’s team selections are performance based, and no player regardless of experience or reputation is guaranteed a spot in the starting XV if their recent performances don’t warrant their selection.
I think this is a good principle within Van Graan’s coaching philosophy. The Munster Head Coach appears to remain consistent with some of the most successful coaching ideas used across many successful sports teams, the idea being if players have to compete with their fellow teammates for starting spots then the team’s performance overall will benefit.
Carbery has been the topic of numerous conversations within rugby media, with many of the voices extending their sympathy for Carbery struggling to regather the confidence and form he once had since returning from injury late last season. Healy however, continues to impress on weekly basis with pristine accuracy off the tee and when kicking for touch, among many other skills.
However, if Van Graan sticks to those principles and Healy continues to revitalise the Munster attack when called upon from the bench, the dropping of Carbery and the promotion of Healy may not be as inconceivable as we once thought.
Further question marks surrounding the role of Conor Murray now that the fresh faced Craig Casey continues to perform on a weekly basis. Although striking a harmony between these two scrum-halves is likely, Van Graan will still face some difficult decisions in terms of selection.
Casey’s fast tempo approach has helped cultivate an attacking style which Munster have thrived on in their first two URC encounters. The former Lions captain has obtained his reputation through a more tactical approach, for instance his remarkable kicking ability and his unparalleled ability to scan the width and depth of the opposition and exploit their imperfections.
Regardless of the choices Van Graan faces in key positions, this Munster side has a lot to be excited for. With a low number of injuries and promising performance levels in the early stages of the season, Munster are touted to be a top two URC side and a serious contender for the Heineken Champions Cup.
Defeats to Leinster and Toulouse at key stages of last years season will be fresh in the minds of all at Munster. But, with a fearless pack led by Graham Rowntree complemented with a more than promising backline, Munster have the foundations set for a number of successful seasons on the horizon.
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