The third team in our Rabo DirectPRO12 season preview is Rob Penney’s Munster and after finishing outside the play-offs last year, will be keen to make amends this time out.
After his first season in Irish rugby Penney has overseen a big change in personnel. Not to mention an alteration in style, supporters will be hoping that further silverware is only just around the corner.
Players in/out
Since Penney arrived, he seems to be dealing with some of the biggest names either retiring or succumbing to injury. At the end of the season Marcus Horan, Ronan O’Gara and Doug Howlett called time on their stellar careers, while Peter Stringer made the permanent switch to Bath.
The coach has instilled a huge amount of faith in the academy players – he has been left with little choice in some cases – but his only two signings could be very shrewd business. Andrew Conway was showing fine form for Leinster towards the end of last season and will look to claim Howlett’s jersey on the wing, while South African Gerhard van der Heever will look to recapture his form from a few years back that saw him touted as a potential Sprongbok and will add to competition in the back division.
The decision to give Peter O'Mahony the skipper's armband is a further endorsement of his faith in the younger players in the squad.
Can the former Leinster man become a Munster hero?
Last season
A real struggle at times, Munster finished outside the top four for the first time in six years and won only one more game than they lost. Significantly, they were closer to Connacht in terms of points than they were to Leinster.
Changes in personnel and a move towards a more expansive game plan were mooted as possibilities for some very under par results and performances. One week towards the end of March summed up their season perfectly, losing heavily away to Glasgow 51-24 before travelling to the Stoop the following weekend to defeat Harlequins in the Heineken Cup, at the time arguably the form team in Europe.
While the defence was resolute – Leinster for example conceded 12 more tries – their problems were at the other end of the pitch and often lacked a cutting thrust. Of the teams in the top half of the table, only the Ospreys crossed the whitewash on fewer occasions.
Cliché you are most likely to hear this season
Munster are still a team in transition
Cliché you are least likely to hear this season
Paul O’Connell looks to his captain Peter O’Mahony for inspiration
Room for improvement
Consistency would be a great start. Their form away from home has been pretty dismal the past couple of years and the types of games that Munster would have edged in the past seem to be going the other way, while at home, the game plan implemented by Penney seems to be taking time to settle, or if it does, is sporadic at best.
With two more backs into the fray and more time to hone in on their offensive patterns, you most observers are expecting an improvement this year.
Player most likely to follow Jonny Sexton in a big money move
Hard to look beyond Simon Zebo. Everything he does is flash, from his attacking threat with ball in hand to his penchant for spinning the decks
as well as appearing in music videos, there is no doubt he has that touch of class.
One of Munster's most potent attacking threats
We wouldn’t expect him to move any time soon – he penned a three year deal in January – but his next IRFU contract could be hefty or he may be tempted elsewhere.
Best case scenario
Claiming silverware at the end of the season, which is certainly not beyond them. First of all they will need to up their performances to make the top four, but if they do that, no team will fancy taking them on in knock-out rugby, especially at Thomond Park.
Worst case scenario
There is a fear that last season could well be replicated, as much down to the lack of experience in the squad as anything else. We have already listed the players who have left, and injuries to Paul O’Connell, Simon Zebo and Conor Murray for example would have a serious effect on the team. It would be difficult to see them finish lower than last year’s sixth, but a consolidation of that position is a real possibility.
