AS MUCH AS Johann van Graan will continue to claim these are weeks like any other, there is something special afoot.
More than just the unique atmosphere promised by Thomond Park on a European matchday, Sunday seems set to be the day the head coach finally gets to field his first-choice playmakers.
Between Conor Murray’s early-season neck injury and Joey Carbery’s international commitments, Munster have not been able to pair their uber-classy creators this season. A home clash against the French champions is a fitting stage to debut the double act.
“Obviously they have trained a bit together, played for Ireland together and it is not something we have spent too much thought about,” said Van Graan when asked how much preparation time could have been invested in the partnership.
“If Joey and Conor get selected it will be like any normal week, get the job done in training and then get the job done on the field.”
Since Carbery was introduced to Test rugby in Chicago two years ago, he and Murray have become well acquainted with one another. Yet their time on the field as a 9-10 combination has been rare. They have shared significant (i.e. more than five minutes) competitive gametime on just four occasions, most recently when Carbery started the first Test of the series against Australia. An earlier meeting with Australia in Dublin counts for another 49 minutes of playing time, when of course Carbery was playing as fullback.
More often, they have spent fleeting late-match minutes as a pair or passed one another on the sideline as one shed a jacket and the other pulled one on.
Seeing them together, in red, is a mouthwatering prospect.
Selection appears straightforward, toss Carbery and CJ Stander in among the group who tore through Edinburgh, though Andrew Conway, Mike Haley and Stephen Archer are injury concerns for Van Graan as he mulls his team-sheet for Sunday.
Having recently celebrated his anniversary in charge of Munster, round three of Europe is another landmark for Van Graan. Last year’s back-to-back victories over Leicester Tigers were his first foray into European rugby, yet a year on Munster look in formidable shape as they welcome back Carbery and Murray as well as Chris Farrell and Tyler Bleyendaal. All of a sudden, Van Graan has a core of front-line talents who are almost alll fit and available, a fleet of new contracts and they are playing for a settled coaching ticket.
Things are on the up in the southern province.
“I would like to say a lot better prepared than a year ago,” says the South African.
“Obviously, it went pretty well the first two games against Leicester. At least a year in you have kinda had everything now for a second time, last year was the first time, now it’s the second time that we are going into this block.”
“Like I said from day one, it is never been about me, it has been about the team. We believe in our team. For me personally I have enjoyed every single moment of it, I do every day.
“It is never work where I drive here in the morning. It is all about coming to enjoy the day, enjoy what we are about and where we, hopefully, are going.
“It is no different than a year ago. The most important thing is what we do and players are happy and the management keep growing and we are taking each day a step of growth and becoming a better team.
“I think we have done it over the past few weeks.”
Subscribe to our new podcast, Heineken Rugby Weekly on The42, here:
Munster are looking good.!.
@Locojoe: They really are starting to look very good. I’d expect a but win and five points and would fancy them to run Castres close in France.
I see Joey is trying out the new invisible skipping rope. They have it all down in Munster.
@DeShawn Jersey:
Carbery, “Gee whizz I’m going to be playing next to Conor Murray”
Murray, “Here we go again”
Should be a pretty strong team picked today. Barring injury at 15 the only number I’m not sure of is 12. He could go with scannell or blyendaal there with the other covering the bench. Looking forward to seeing carbery in the middle of Murray and Farrell. Also looking forward to seeing loughman and what he can do in a big game against a good side. I’d expect a munster win by about 10 points I think.
@Jim Demps: Loughman is a good losehead he just wasn’t going to make it as a tighthead. He was right to leave, now with Cronin being injured he has a real chance to progress his career. Just hope he doesn’t end up going to the world cup with the US as that would rule him out long term for Munster.
@Jim Demps: Scannell starts. He might not be that highly rated, but in the last 3/4 years he has made that 12 jersey his own under successive coaches.
@Darren Byrne: I dont think loughman will be lining out for the states. He must be firmly on the radar of the Irish management for the future given that Healy, McGrath, kilcoyne and cronin are all in and around the same age and around the 30 mark now
@Jim Demps: guessing Blyendaal on bench to cover 12, Scannell to start( left foot), team kinda picks itself after that. Butterflies starting, can see Murray Carbery axis being what has been missing. Leinster have Jonnie, but Conor and Joey trump even him. 3 more sleeps.
There’s a Heineken cup or two in this young and developing squad.
@Paul O’Connor: naw, nobody is going to beat Leinster this side of the World Cup in France.
2nd row selection will be interesting in the absence of Jean Kleyn.
@retsnuM: Surely Holland comes in and Wycherley takes the bench spot, as he seems to have jumped O’Shea in the pecking. In terms of locks we are a little light. DOC2 could cover but he is injured, maybe POM can cover in a crisis. Definitely an area we need more depth.
@Johnny 5: well there is a certain Tipperary man out of contract in Paris this summer…
@Johnny 5: I agree re Holland and Wycherley but I seem to remember that O’Shea looked good recently – including in the heavy going in Zebre, I think. I really hope that he develops into Munster’s Devin Toner – he’s only an inch shorter that Dev, is still only 25 (26 next week) and has good players and coaches to learn from. Maybe uber-tall players take a bit longer to develop. As we know, 6-9 / 6-10 comfort blankets are very handy in the line-out for provinces and Ireland.
@Glenbower: I don’t doubt it’s possible and he has all the physical attibutes required, but he is back 2 years and looks like he is moving backwards in the pecking order. It’s not like lock is very competitive spot for Munster at the moment. He is competing with Holland (33 and without the physical attibutes to be top level lock) and Wycherley (only 20), O’Shea should really be pushing on and playing games if he is going to make it.
@Niall Collins: that would be great, but considering we couldn’t afford to keep him 2 years ago, and he has spent the last 2 years tearing up trees in Paris it’s hard to imagine him coming back. Plus the carrot of playing for Ireland at the RWC isn’t even guaranteed if he returned with the emergence of James Ryan and Beirne since he left
@retsnuM: Big Billy & Tadgh
Looking forward to this pairing. Suspect Cooney – Carbery might make for a fine combination as well though.