MUNSTER FORWARDS COACH Graham Rowntree has not ruled out the possibility of taking over as head coach of the province in the future.
Johann van Graan will leave his position as Munster’s head coach at the end of the current season, while senior coach Stephen Larkham is also departing next summer.
However, current forwards specialist Rowntree has extended his contract with the province until June 2024.
The former England international has been mentioned as a possible successor to van Graan in recent weeks and when asked about the prospect today, Rowntree was evasive.
“I’m delighted to be re-signed in my current capacity,” he said.
“The head coach question, well that’s one for another day. But what I can tell you is that the club and all the parties concerned are very aware of my coaching aspirations.”
It remains to be seen what happens next on the coaching front at Munster, with current defence coach JP Ferreira’s future still up in the air.
It could be that Ferreira joins van Graan at Bath next season, but Rowntree will definitely be staying put in Limerick after signing his new two-year contract extension.
“I think I’ve said before what I think of the club and the people here,” said Rowntree. “My family have settled really well. I asked to sign for five years but they wouldn’t have it.
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“I’m just enjoying my time here and I’m delighted.
“The players are a humble group who want to get better. My job is to help them get better day in, day out. My family have been well received and it’s important in our world to have good balance of work and play time – I’ve enjoyed that here. And I’m enjoying working with the coaches and players, that’s it really.”
The former British and Irish Lions forwards coach said the uncertainty following confirmation of van Graan and Larkham’s impending exits had no bearing on his decision.
“You can only control what you can and I can only do what’s best for me and my family and my career,” said Rowntree. “I can’t control all of that.
“Obviously, there’s a bit going on there and it has been well documented but I’m just delighted that I’ll be able to commit and put another two years in.”
Of more pressing concern to Rowntree and co. is bouncing back from last weekend’s defeat away to Connacht.
Munster are set to host Ulster at Thomond Park in the United Rugby Championship this Saturday and Rowntree is demanding a much better showing.
“I’d say it’s a tad more than disappointing. Very frustrating. We had some good clearing-the-air meetings yesterday because that wasn’t good enough from us. It just wasn’t good enough at all.
“We still lost by two points but we didn’t control key areas of the game, particularly around territory. We didn’t have enough starter plays in their third [of the pitch] in the second half in particular. They had plenty of starter plays, I think they had 20 lineouts and they were a handful off all of those.
“They mauled well. They took us on at a perceived strength of ours there, they tried to maul us over the line six times and they did on one, scored a good try. I saw [Connacht forwards coach] Dewald Senekal after the game, I shook his hand, I think he’s done a great job with that forward pack and Collie Tucker around the set-piece and defence.
“They were a proper handful on Saturday night and we should have done better. We’ve had a good look at ourselves because that wasn’t good enough and there’s no one in the club who will say anything different to that.”
Munster have been hit by severe disruption in recent times. Rowntree revealed that he was one of the party who tested positive for Covid-19 in South Africa in November and had to remain in isolation in Cape Town.
Covid continues to cause chaos in professional sport but Rowntree said there are no excuses for last weekend.
“It is a challenge. You’ve got guys who haven’t started a game or played for two months. Units have not prepared a lot of time together on the training field and you’re constantly adapting.
“We had a session last week where we had two guys pulled from the session as we were walking to the session. But that’s the same for every team and every club. There has been loads of disruption but that’s no excuse for what happened Saturday night.
“We’ve highlighted the key areas where we’ve got to be better around our composure, around our discipline. We conceded 17 penalties, we don’t do that. You’re going to struggle to win a game giving that many away and they kept utilising those penalties to put us in the corner or take the points.
“Disruption is no excuse. I’ve been right in the middle of all those disruptions sat in a hotel in Cape Town with 14 other guys for 10 days and then came back and did another 10 days here in isolation, coaching from a laptop.
“We actually won some big games without me here but coaching through my laptop. Thank God for Pinotage and South African wine, that’s all I’ll say. That’s why I look like I’ve been living on a desert island for the last month because I pretty much have in isolation.
“But that’s no excuse for what happened Saturday night, I need to reiterate that. We’ve got to be better than we were.”
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'The head coach question, that's one for another day' - Rowntree
MUNSTER FORWARDS COACH Graham Rowntree has not ruled out the possibility of taking over as head coach of the province in the future.
Johann van Graan will leave his position as Munster’s head coach at the end of the current season, while senior coach Stephen Larkham is also departing next summer.
However, current forwards specialist Rowntree has extended his contract with the province until June 2024.
The former England international has been mentioned as a possible successor to van Graan in recent weeks and when asked about the prospect today, Rowntree was evasive.
“I’m delighted to be re-signed in my current capacity,” he said.
“The head coach question, well that’s one for another day. But what I can tell you is that the club and all the parties concerned are very aware of my coaching aspirations.”
It remains to be seen what happens next on the coaching front at Munster, with current defence coach JP Ferreira’s future still up in the air.
It could be that Ferreira joins van Graan at Bath next season, but Rowntree will definitely be staying put in Limerick after signing his new two-year contract extension.
“I think I’ve said before what I think of the club and the people here,” said Rowntree. “My family have settled really well. I asked to sign for five years but they wouldn’t have it.
“I’m just enjoying my time here and I’m delighted.
“The players are a humble group who want to get better. My job is to help them get better day in, day out. My family have been well received and it’s important in our world to have good balance of work and play time – I’ve enjoyed that here. And I’m enjoying working with the coaches and players, that’s it really.”
The former British and Irish Lions forwards coach said the uncertainty following confirmation of van Graan and Larkham’s impending exits had no bearing on his decision.
“You can only control what you can and I can only do what’s best for me and my family and my career,” said Rowntree. “I can’t control all of that.
“Obviously, there’s a bit going on there and it has been well documented but I’m just delighted that I’ll be able to commit and put another two years in.”
Of more pressing concern to Rowntree and co. is bouncing back from last weekend’s defeat away to Connacht.
Munster are set to host Ulster at Thomond Park in the United Rugby Championship this Saturday and Rowntree is demanding a much better showing.
“I’d say it’s a tad more than disappointing. Very frustrating. We had some good clearing-the-air meetings yesterday because that wasn’t good enough from us. It just wasn’t good enough at all.
“We still lost by two points but we didn’t control key areas of the game, particularly around territory. We didn’t have enough starter plays in their third [of the pitch] in the second half in particular. They had plenty of starter plays, I think they had 20 lineouts and they were a handful off all of those.
“They mauled well. They took us on at a perceived strength of ours there, they tried to maul us over the line six times and they did on one, scored a good try. I saw [Connacht forwards coach] Dewald Senekal after the game, I shook his hand, I think he’s done a great job with that forward pack and Collie Tucker around the set-piece and defence.
“They were a proper handful on Saturday night and we should have done better. We’ve had a good look at ourselves because that wasn’t good enough and there’s no one in the club who will say anything different to that.”
Munster have been hit by severe disruption in recent times. Rowntree revealed that he was one of the party who tested positive for Covid-19 in South Africa in November and had to remain in isolation in Cape Town.
Covid continues to cause chaos in professional sport but Rowntree said there are no excuses for last weekend.
“It is a challenge. You’ve got guys who haven’t started a game or played for two months. Units have not prepared a lot of time together on the training field and you’re constantly adapting.
“We had a session last week where we had two guys pulled from the session as we were walking to the session. But that’s the same for every team and every club. There has been loads of disruption but that’s no excuse for what happened Saturday night.
“We’ve highlighted the key areas where we’ve got to be better around our composure, around our discipline. We conceded 17 penalties, we don’t do that. You’re going to struggle to win a game giving that many away and they kept utilising those penalties to put us in the corner or take the points.
“Disruption is no excuse. I’ve been right in the middle of all those disruptions sat in a hotel in Cape Town with 14 other guys for 10 days and then came back and did another 10 days here in isolation, coaching from a laptop.
“We actually won some big games without me here but coaching through my laptop. Thank God for Pinotage and South African wine, that’s all I’ll say. That’s why I look like I’ve been living on a desert island for the last month because I pretty much have in isolation.
“But that’s no excuse for what happened Saturday night, I need to reiterate that. We’ve got to be better than we were.”
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Aspirations gig Graham Rowntree Head Coach Munster Van Graan Wig