JUST AS JOSH Wycherley’s Munster career appeared to be taking off, it all came to a sudden halt.

There was much excitement around the dynamic loosehead when he first started to make inroads with the senior team, a remarkable 77-minute shift against Clermont on his first Champions Cup start an early sign of his clear potential.

That was December 2020. Wycherley had played just six senior games for Munster and the Clermont fixture represented only his third start for the province. He’d play just twice more in January before injury curtailed his blistering start to life as a Munster player.

“Look, it’s part of the game really, injury,” Wycherley says, sitting down for his first taste of midweek media duty.

“I struggled a little bit with my neck coming off towards the end of last season. It’s part of the game, and you’ve got to be able to deal with that really, that’s the reality of it.

“From my own personal point of view, I just tried to get it right and get back in there training, that was the way I looked at it. 

In terms of anxiety and stuff like that, obviously you’d love to be out playing every week and when you’re not involved, it’s tough, but you’re always just looking to get yourself better and get back on the pitch.”

Munster were careful not to rush him back. The 22-year-old has featured seven times for Johann van Graan’s side this season, but has yet to start a game. That will soon change. This is a player the province rate very highly.

Just before Wycherley entered the room for his media duties, forwards coach Graham Rowntree was asked about the young prop’s development.

“Clermont, his big game in Europe when he had a whole career of experiences in one game, the highs, literally, and the lows of propping,” said Rowntree.

“He’s good to work with, he’s a thorough professional, he’s been chomping at the bit for a long time, he gets on with things and does his work and he’ll get his opportunity and I’m sure he won’t let us down.”

Wycherley came up the age grades at Bantry Bay and played Schools Cup with Cistercian College Roscrea before joining the Munster Academy. A key player in the Ireland U20 Grand Slam winning team of 2019, he moved up to a senior contract last year, joining older brother Fineen as a full-time Munster rugby player.

He says the welcoming atmosphere created by the more senior members of the playing group has helped make the transition from Academy hopeful to senior squad member such a comfortable one.

“To be honest, it’s been fairly easy. All the lads are sound, everyone is trying to bring the group together.

I wouldn’t say there is anyone that you would be afraid to go up and ask a question or have a bit of craic with. It’s almost seamless coming from the Academy into the senior squad, because we’re all together, all training together, so from that point of view it’s really easy.

“A lot of the older lads would be encouraging each other and also encouraging us to make sure that if we feel we have a point, to say, to make sure to speak up. 

“Just different things like grabbing fellas for coffees or things like that. It’s great to see it.”

So far, Wycherley has handled every step with ease, but he has also had to be patient this year. With that in mind, he’s been proactive in trying to keep his minutes up, returning to the All-Ireland League and lining out for Young Munster recently, featuring against Clontarf.

“I think the AIL is brilliant. It’s brilliant to get gametime on weeks where you might not be involved and it’s just another opportunity to show your game and I think match fitness is hard to replicate, so getting those games on the weekend where you’re not involved is really important.

“It was my first game for the Cookies (this season). I think it’s definitely up there with that standard. It’s fast games and the scrummaging is at that level, so it’s great to get back as many weekends as you’re available to play, it’s great to get some gametime there.” 

Comedian Michael Fry is our special guest on this week’s episode of The Front Row, in partnership with Guinness. Joining host Seán Burke, Eimear Considine and Murray Kinsella, he chats about his family’s rugby background and his short-lived playing days, before using his musical ear to rank the anthems of each Guinness Six Nations team. Click here to subscribe or listen below:

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