SHANE HORGAN HAS thrown down the gauntlet to Leinster and Munster, challenging them to follow Connacht’s lead and start the new season by playing a more attacking, fearless brand of rugby.
Connacht’s unheralded Pro12 triumph last season saw the traditional provincial hierarchy rearranged with Pat Lam’s side a breath of fresh air with their ball-in-hand style of play.
It means the two previous dominant forces in Irish rugby have been left to play catch-up over a summer which has seen a reshuffling of the pack at Leinster and the arrival of Munster’s first ever Director of Rugby.
And former Ireland international Horgan says the rest of the Pro12 should be indebted to Connacht for forcing them to rethink their approach to the game.
“What happened last year has really re-energised the whole tournament,” he said yesterday at the launch of Sky Sports’ rugby coverage in London.
“I think the whole of the Pro12 owe Connacht a pint. They’ve reordered the whole structure of things and how we view the Pro12 and who should be at the top and who should be at the bottom.
“They’ve reinvigorated a lot of players and coaches to say actually if you change a few fundamental things it can have huge knock on consequences and from being a team who were consistently at the bottom of the Pro12 to being someone who won it over the course of the season is an incredible turnaround.
“I also think the manner in which they played the game, a really exciting type of rugby; high risk but high reward has shown every other coach and every other player in that league that playing that type of rugby is probably the only type of rugby you’re going to beat the bigger teams with. It means that there is a lot of teams now that will look to play a lot more exciting rugby, ball in hand rugby and a lot more passing.”
Munster's new DOR Rassie Erasmus. Tommy Dickson / INPHO
Tommy Dickson / INPHO / INPHO
Leinster open their campaign against Treviso at the RDS tonight while Munster, under the guidance of Rassie Erasmus, travel to face Scarlets on Saturday.
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“Both teams have good players and consistently over a number of years we’ve seen this,” Horgan continued.
“But I don’t think they’ve either had the game plan or individual players haven’t been challenging their skill levels. There’s been a slight conservatism within Leinster to take the ball to the gain line and then trust your skills to pass.
“Munster are slightly different. They’ve been playing a game plan that hasn’t suited their style, with very little go forward ball and doing everything very deep and they need to change that. It’s going to be interesting with the new coaching change whether he gets them playing flat up to the line and take that space. Those are thing those teams need to do.”
Leo Cullen has been forced to start the season without a number of his leading internationals through injury with young out-half Joey Carberry, who has just four minutes of league action under his belt, starting at 10.
After enduring a disappointing, and at times frustrating, season last year, the eastern province will be determined to hit the ground running this time around and lay down a marker for the months ahead.
As the bookmakers’ pre-season favourites, there is still a weighty level of expectation around the RDS — and there will be pressure on Cullen to get it right from the off.
“It’s kind of a new dawn given what Connacht did over the course of last season. Leinster are the bookmakers favourites for the league and there is always expectation on them to win,” the former Ireland winger added.
Luke McGrath captains Leinster against Treviso tonight. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
“If you’re coach of Leinster you’re under pressure anyway. If you’re coach of one of the Irish sides you’re always under pressure but I think what removes some of the pressure for Leo is that he’s only a year in the job. Before that he had just one year as a professional coach as forwards coach so I think that he needs a certain amount of time to allow him develop as a coach.
“The Leinster job is a huge one and they gave it to Leo at a very early stage in his career and nobody in their first year can be as good as they can be. It’s important for him to develop and I think Graham Henry coming in over the summer as a coach is really instructive, that he recognises that he’s still learning and bringing in outside knowledge is a good way to develop as a coach.
“That said, for both Leinster and Munster when it comes to the Pro12 if they don’t win the league it’s actually a disappointing season.”
As for Ulster? Les Kiss has built a strong squad at Kingspan Stadium and there is a genuine expectation that this year can be the one the northern province finally get over the line and lift silverware.
They begin their league programme against Newport Gwent Dragons later with new signing Charles Piutau making his debut and Horgan insists the time has come for Ulster to stop being the bridesmaids and earn the success their talent merits.
It's a big year for Les Kiss and Ulster. Presseye / Brian Little/INPHO
Presseye / Brian Little/INPHO / Brian Little/INPHO
“It’s an important year for Ulster. It’s their last year with Ruan Pienaar and they just haven’t been able to get over the hurdle. They’ve constantly got in the top four but they just can’t over that hurdle and it’s important for them from both a Pro12 and a Champions Cup perspective that they win something.”
So, all the talking is nearly over and the new season is upon us. There’s certainly been a changing of the guard and Leinster and Munster will be hell-bent on restoring order.
“Players wise, it’s something similar to what we usually have,” Horgan concludes.
“Leinster have a little bit more depth than everyone else so it’s Leinster first, maybe Ulster slightly ahead of Munster and although Connacht had the year that they had, they have lost a couple of key players. Maybe their the fourth [of the Irish teams] but who knows after last year.”
Sky Sports kicks off a bumper season of rugby – which includes live Guinness Pro12, ERCC and Ireland’s autumn internationals – this weekend with exclusive coverage of Scarlets v Munster and Connacht v Glasgow. Sky TV customers can upgrade to Sky Sports for just €20 per month via the red button.
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Horgan urges Leinster and Munster to scrap the conservatism and follow Connacht's lead
SHANE HORGAN HAS thrown down the gauntlet to Leinster and Munster, challenging them to follow Connacht’s lead and start the new season by playing a more attacking, fearless brand of rugby.
Connacht’s unheralded Pro12 triumph last season saw the traditional provincial hierarchy rearranged with Pat Lam’s side a breath of fresh air with their ball-in-hand style of play.
It means the two previous dominant forces in Irish rugby have been left to play catch-up over a summer which has seen a reshuffling of the pack at Leinster and the arrival of Munster’s first ever Director of Rugby.
And former Ireland international Horgan says the rest of the Pro12 should be indebted to Connacht for forcing them to rethink their approach to the game.
“What happened last year has really re-energised the whole tournament,” he said yesterday at the launch of Sky Sports’ rugby coverage in London.
“They’ve reinvigorated a lot of players and coaches to say actually if you change a few fundamental things it can have huge knock on consequences and from being a team who were consistently at the bottom of the Pro12 to being someone who won it over the course of the season is an incredible turnaround.
“I also think the manner in which they played the game, a really exciting type of rugby; high risk but high reward has shown every other coach and every other player in that league that playing that type of rugby is probably the only type of rugby you’re going to beat the bigger teams with. It means that there is a lot of teams now that will look to play a lot more exciting rugby, ball in hand rugby and a lot more passing.”
Leinster open their campaign against Treviso at the RDS tonight while Munster, under the guidance of Rassie Erasmus, travel to face Scarlets on Saturday.
“Both teams have good players and consistently over a number of years we’ve seen this,” Horgan continued.
“But I don’t think they’ve either had the game plan or individual players haven’t been challenging their skill levels. There’s been a slight conservatism within Leinster to take the ball to the gain line and then trust your skills to pass.
Leo Cullen has been forced to start the season without a number of his leading internationals through injury with young out-half Joey Carberry, who has just four minutes of league action under his belt, starting at 10.
After enduring a disappointing, and at times frustrating, season last year, the eastern province will be determined to hit the ground running this time around and lay down a marker for the months ahead.
As the bookmakers’ pre-season favourites, there is still a weighty level of expectation around the RDS — and there will be pressure on Cullen to get it right from the off.
“It’s kind of a new dawn given what Connacht did over the course of last season. Leinster are the bookmakers favourites for the league and there is always expectation on them to win,” the former Ireland winger added.
“If you’re coach of Leinster you’re under pressure anyway. If you’re coach of one of the Irish sides you’re always under pressure but I think what removes some of the pressure for Leo is that he’s only a year in the job. Before that he had just one year as a professional coach as forwards coach so I think that he needs a certain amount of time to allow him develop as a coach.
“The Leinster job is a huge one and they gave it to Leo at a very early stage in his career and nobody in their first year can be as good as they can be. It’s important for him to develop and I think Graham Henry coming in over the summer as a coach is really instructive, that he recognises that he’s still learning and bringing in outside knowledge is a good way to develop as a coach.
As for Ulster? Les Kiss has built a strong squad at Kingspan Stadium and there is a genuine expectation that this year can be the one the northern province finally get over the line and lift silverware.
They begin their league programme against Newport Gwent Dragons later with new signing Charles Piutau making his debut and Horgan insists the time has come for Ulster to stop being the bridesmaids and earn the success their talent merits.
“It’s an important year for Ulster. It’s their last year with Ruan Pienaar and they just haven’t been able to get over the hurdle. They’ve constantly got in the top four but they just can’t over that hurdle and it’s important for them from both a Pro12 and a Champions Cup perspective that they win something.”
So, all the talking is nearly over and the new season is upon us. There’s certainly been a changing of the guard and Leinster and Munster will be hell-bent on restoring order.
“Players wise, it’s something similar to what we usually have,” Horgan concludes.
“Leinster have a little bit more depth than everyone else so it’s Leinster first, maybe Ulster slightly ahead of Munster and although Connacht had the year that they had, they have lost a couple of key players. Maybe their the fourth [of the Irish teams] but who knows after last year.”
Sky Sports kicks off a bumper season of rugby – which includes live Guinness Pro12, ERCC and Ireland’s autumn internationals – this weekend with exclusive coverage of Scarlets v Munster and Connacht v Glasgow. Sky TV customers can upgrade to Sky Sports for just €20 per month via the red button.
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