IT WAS TELLING how enthusiastically Jack O’Donoghue and Billy Holland referenced the number of homegrown players in Munster’s team in their post-match interviews on Monday night.
Munster had just beaten Cardiff Blues in a fairly wild game in which the southern province’s starting XV had included homegrown 14 players.
While their 17 offloads certainly helped with the enthusiasm levels, there’s no doubt that the Munster players were simply excited to be part of a side that showed the fruits of the province’s pipeline, with youngsters like Gavin Coombes, John Hodnett, Ben Healy, Craig Casey, and Fineen Wycherley all impressing.
Watching on from home was Munster legend Paul O’Connell and he was equally encouraged to see such a strong homegrown crop in Johann van Graan’s side.
“If you care for the team you are playing for and you care for the people you are playing with and you are really cognizant of the people that you are representing in terms of the fans, I think it is the biggest asset we have in Irish rugby,” says O’Connell, who pointed to his experiences in France as having underlined that asset.
“It’s something that we have to be careful not to dilute. I’m all for some players moving around the provinces but I think the Munster team has to be predominantly Munster, the Ulster team predominantly Ulster men, the same for Connacht and Leinster.
“To play a game like [Monday] night, to win it like they did, to play some of the rugby they did and to have so many young local players in the team as well; it is exciting for fans which is what I am at this stage.
“That’s probably what excites me more than anything – seeing local guys doing well, looking confident, looking well-coached. I think that is exciting.”
Munster have secured three wins from three to start the new 2020/21 season and while O’Connell hasn’t been impressed with several aspects of how the side has played, the quality of young talent coming through does encourage him.
“The appetite to play from some of the younger guys is a joy to see,” says O’Connell. “I think Ben Healy has been fantastic. Obviously, his goal-kicking is brilliant but some of his passing has been really good and his defence hasn’t been bad which people might talk about from time to time.
“We are so jealous of watching Leinster bring all these young players through all the time, it’s great to see Munster being brave and selecting some of the younger guys.
“John Hodnett is a fantastic player that is a very powerful guy, perhaps not that tall but he is very powerful and reads the game really, really well, which is probably what we are used to seeing from some of the younger Leinster players that come through. They seem to be able to read the game really quickly.”
With such a promising crop of players coming through in Munster, coaching will be key and on that front, O’Connell would love to see one of his old team-mates back in the mix at some point.
Ronan O’Gara is now head coach at La Rochelle in France but O’Connell feels he would be a brilliant addition to the Munster set-up if he can be convinced to return home.
“I’d love if he came back to Munster,” says O’Connell. “One of the things in coaching is about being able to connect with players and being able to connect with people. All throughout his career as a player, ROG was brilliant at that – he could mix it with the old guys and the young guys. I think he’s doing that now with La Rochelle.
“So I’d love to see him back in Munster sooner rather than later. I think we have a great coaching staff there at the moment but I’d love to see him coaching in Munster.
“He seems to be able to get the best out of people and he has such a lovely way about him. I think he’s doing great and I’d love to see him back in Irish rugby sooner rather than later.”
Vodafone have also announced a new ‘Digital Lions’ Initiative that will allow rugby fans to virtually become a British and Irish Lion for the first time.
I can’t see many having sympathy given his past.
He shamed the country. I feel sorry for the other riders whose horses ran without drugs and didn’t cheat. And that’s saying nothing about the staged burglary to steal the B blood sample from the HQ of Show jumping Ireland in the dead of night. It made us look like a bunch of gombeens.
Here come the horsey set with their red thumbs in support of Cian, tally-ho suckers !
The brown envelope comes to mind with this decision .. Shafted ..
They did however win the Most Ironically Named Horse Award.
Why did the fella run out in front of him?
Shame Sepp Blatter wasn’t in charge. Could of made a deal.
Juicstice served?
I see a lot of people saying stuff like this.. what did he do I know nothing about the man?
He won gold. Horse later tested positive. B samples went missing after a suspicious break in. Something like that.
Sound mate
Good. He’s only a cheat anyway.
I feel sorry for a lot of irish jockeys lately . Bertram Allen and yesterday Richard Howley have both being wronged by the FEI on tiny, tiny infringements. Yet they ,themselves, don’t make a big call like this which is an infringement on the actual course .
They .the FEI
Was it not when that man was in the way that O’Connor did not follow procedure to point out the unexpected obstacle?
In saying that it is a pity.
Yes. The rules are that he had to pull the horse up during the round and lodge the complaint straight away. Cian didn’t….he finished the round. Had one fence down, which was the fence directly after the man running across him, but he completed the round. Only lodged a complaint and apply after he lost out on qualification by one place because of the four faults. An International showjumper at that level should know the rules. Even more so for Cian considering his past.
Exactly, in cases like this you must stop your round and ask the judges to let you re-start it. Had he done so I am sure the judges would have allowed him to re-start. However by carrying on he was looking for two bites at the cherry. Correct decision to reject his appeal.
How is Show Jumping in the Olympics anyway? It’s presence makes a mockery off all the competitors in the real sports. Shouldn’t really be allowed. Dressidge is another one. Who came up with that nonsense?
Why isn’t horse racing included like showjumping?
What a stupid comment to make… showjumping is one of Irelands most successful sports, people who partake in any equestrian sport train just as hard as anyother sport.. its takes a lot of time, commitment and work to get to the levels of these riders and animals and its not dressidge its dressage..if you dont know the sport dont comment on it
Janis, I hardly think people who partake in equestrian “sport” have to work hard. Show Jumping and Horsey Racing are pretty much spectator sports for the riders. Sit back, relax is what’s on the cards during a ride. The only time a rider would break sweat is if they’re hitting the horse really hard with the riding crop, or maybe kicking it with the spurs. Horsey people love being cruel to animals. They’re all involved in fox-hunting and badger-baiting and the like. Stuck-up idiots
I’m surprised O’Connor took the rap…
Clearly the gag went over people’s heads (the horse usually gets the rap).
Oconnor unfairly shafted again
The rules are the rules for everyone, maybe Cian might try learning them and then following them. He lost the appeal let that be the end of it.
Not surprised at all. The incident may have cost Ireland their place because O’Connor was more concerned about the guy running out in front of him than getting on with the job and setting his horse right for the next jump. Anyway, when the jockey’s arse is bigger than the horse’s arse, our expectations weren’t high.
I Connor plus drugs equals trouble for everyone around him. Shame on him as his behaviour deserved a lifetime ban since he threatened our most valuable industry horses and farming( both linked by their very nature). I hate when people clap him at the RDS as it is like Roy Keane in the World Cup. Yet they both did well from their disgusting behaviour. This guy should have been jailed but no in Ireland he gets rewarded, just like some of our politicians snd bankers.
Most likely your man was on the same drug as Waterford crystal