Van Graan could take O’Connell and ROG
JOHANN VAN GRAAN has left the door open for Ronan O’Gara and Paul O’Connell to potentially join Munster’s coaching team next season. Legends in their playing days for the province, O’Gara and O’Connell have since moved into coaching. Former out-half O’Gara spent four seasons as defence coach with Racing 92 — helping them to a Top 14 title in 2016 — before moving to New Zealand to join Scott Robertson’s backroom team at the Canterbury Crusaders. O’Gara has also been heavily linked with a role with France ahead of the World Cup in Japan. O’Connell, meanwhile, is leaving his post with Stade Francais at the end of the current season. And Munster boss Van Graan has not ruled out an approach for their services in the summer. ‘Nothing’s ever impossible,’ he told Virgin Media. ‘Paulie is doing some great work with Stade Francais and he’s finishing up. ‘ROG has been absolutely fantastic at Crusaders and he’s possibly the most sought-after coach in the world, if I’m not mistaken. ‘I’ve been in constant contact with them, but there’s a lot of quality coaches all over the world and we’ll do what’s the best for Munster. ‘Look, they’re fantastic people and fantastic coaches. ‘We’re all on different journeys in our coaching paths, so I wouldn’t say yes or no to that.’
PETER O’Mahony has warned Saracens that Munster are ‘a different animal’ this year ahead of Saturday’s European Cup semifinal clash in Coventry.
Racing 92 gave the province a reality check in last season’s semi-final, when they were quicker, stronger and smarter in Bordeaux.
Twelve months on from that debacle, O’Mahony and Co are back in a European semifinal, and the captain insists they have returned a stronger and more rounded side.
‘We put in a lot of work over the past 12 months and I think that we are a different animal to what we were, further down the track,’ he said.
‘We are definitely a better side than we were last year. That gives us great confidence. We have had big battles this year, games in which we have gone behind, big games that we have ground out; a draw in Exeter.
‘You don’t look back a huge amount but they are things that you draw strength on over a season to gather that momentum and confidence.
‘We have built nicely but it all counts for nothing unless you perform at the weekend. That’s what we are looking for, a performance. We know that if we perform as well as we can we can mix it with the best.’
Nothing but their best will suffice against Saracens. The Londoners are laced with quality operators. They could very well have seven Lions who toured New Zealand in 2017 on their team-sheet this weekend with Jamie George, the Vunipola brothers, Maro Itoje, George Kruis, Owen Farrell and Liam Williams all available for selection.
O’Mahony knows all about that crew. He captained the tourists in the first Test against the All Blacks at Eden Park.
‘I have to say I was very impressed with the English players across the board,’ he said. ‘The Saracens players were very impressive with regard to their thinking of the game, forward-thinking, game plan thinking.
‘It gives you an insight into how good they can be mentally and their thought process on the game, which is useful in some ways. In other ways, you know how good these guys really are behind their performances.’
As Wales defence coach Shaun Edwards once observed, ‘defence wins championships,’ but Munster will need to be bold in attack against Saracens.
They have proven this season that they can tear teams apart when they get on the front foot.
That 41-15 demolition of Gloucester at their Kingsholm fortress in January caused everyone to sit up and take notice of the Reds this season.
And O’Mahony has seen big strides across the board under the guidance of head coach Johann van Graan.
‘We have a few more strings to our bow with regard to our attack. Our defence is getting there certainly.
‘We have conceded the least amount of tries of anyone in this competition so far. We are working hard but can get better.
‘We have certainly grabbed a bit of confidence from the last couple of months hopefully that will stand to us at the weekend.’