David Corkery
“No one to blame, other than ourselves”
The words of Munster Coach Clayton McMillon when he was interviewed after his sides historical loss on Saturday evening.
Maybe Castres just didn’t get the memo on how games of this nature are intended to play out by bringing over an almost full strength squad. Or maybe Munster were just expecting that the mythical gods of Thomond park would bequeath them another miracle, but whatever it was that led to Munster crashing out of the Champions Cup in the pool stages, I do hope that it now sends shock waves through the entire structures of the province.
In one hand I am almost happy that Munster are out because now maybe those who sit behind the boardroom desks and never pop their heads above the parapet might be forced to shoulder a portion of the blame.
In any professional organisation be it in business or in sport there comes a time in the year where those who are responsible for preparing the profit and loss spreadsheets must answer to the shareholders, and in this case those shareholders are the Munster supporters whose numbers and commitment is waning with each fruitless season that passes.
Hurling is now the number one sport in Limerick and I can’t see it getting anything else but stronger.
All too often it is the coaching staff and players whom are sent forward to face the firing squad when the you know what hits the fan, but in Munster’s case a massive portion of their demise has to lie in the hands of those who write the cheques, implement the blueprints and offer the contracts.
I know the Munster players and coaching ticket will be slow to blame anyone else other than themselves, but this loss didn’t just transpire on Saturday evening.
Munster’s exclusion from those who feast at the top table of Europe’s elite rugby clubs is a direct result of an acceptance to embrace mediocracy. Maybe the blazers are afraid that their first class plane tickets and five-star accommodation for the internationals will be withdrawn if they look to ruffle feathers, but unless somebody stands up and fights, Munster’s demise will only continue in a downward spiral.
Not wanting to take anything away from the energetic and spirited way Castres approached this game, this Munster performance didn’t just manifest overnight, it has come about as a direct result of poor planning, an unwillingness by the blazers to stand up and fight for Munsters corner when the IRFU look to implement the structures that suit them, and probably most importantly, the way the club game in the province has been allowed fall from the heights that it once commanded.
Just remember the core principles of building anything substantial are based around structural integrity, functionality, planning, sustainability, efficiency and context, all of which seem to be missing from Munster’s business plan. All we keep hearing about are the monies that are in arrears from the rebuilding of Thomond Park and how expensive the professional game is to run.
Maybe if the IRFU looked elsewhere other than through the blue tinted glasses of Leinster and looked to build a diverse game that allowed for all four provinces to flourish, they wouldn’t always be moaning and groaning about the costs associated with running the game.
For many a year now we have had to sit and watch the Munster team fight battles with a squad that has lacked quality, depth and international experience.
For well over a decade the Munster teams that have taken to the pitch have been so ill equipped it’s a credit to the players unwavering resilience and mental toughness that they’ve even been able to compete at the level they do.
The best analogy I could offer is, the Munster squad are like a fleet of VW golf’s. They will never give up, but when placed in a straight sprint with a F1 car or a race across the desert with a Toyota Landcruiser, they will always come second.
The time for accommodating Leinster’s hand me downs, pension seeking foreigners and bringing back players because they have a romantic affiliation with the province must very quickly become a thing of the past.
The old saying of, you get what you pay for is particularly prevalent in professional sport and unless Munster look to sign quality first team international players, they will never reach the Everest of the sport again.
On the shopping list for McMillin needs to be an entire new front and back-row. A young cocky fly-half that will keep Crowley looking over his shoulder, and a second-row that likes hurting people.
Gavin Coombs needs to find a bit of aggression from somewhere and turn the magnificent physique that he’s parents gave him into a human wrecking ball.
Calvin Nash, Shane Daly, Craig Casey, Jack Crowley and Alex Nankivell are all high quality players out wide and Thomas Ahern, Edwin Edogbo and Brian Gleeson have all the attributes needed to become top notch international players.
Munster’s line-out also seriously needs someone to grab it by the back of the neck and turn it into a reliable weapon of choice. If I had all the money in the world I wouldn’t put one euro on Munster to win two consecutive line-outs in any game. Even if they were unchallenged in the air, I’d still have my doubts.
I guess the dream will always live on with those who love Munster rugby, but currently the reality is nothing but a nightmare that is sprinkled with the odd ray of hope.
Maybe the Six Nations will give us something to celebrate.
Thoughts?