VAN GRAAN EXCITED BY POTENTIAL OF CROWLEY
Munster boss says young talent and imports offer fresh impetus
MUNSTER head coach Johann van Graan says he has been hugely impressed by the progress of rookie out-half Jack Crowley and is looking forward to seeing what the Cork youngster can do when the rugby season resumes next month.
Crowley earned rave reviews for his performances with the Ireland Under 20s before the coronavirus crisis halted their winning run last spring and, with Munster’s first-choice No 10 Joey Carbery not expected to return from injury until September, the youngster looks set to earn his senior debut in the inter-provincial series which kicks off against Leinster at the Aviva on August 22.
While Crowley’s kicking prowess is a key feature of his game (helped by consultation with Munster and Ireland great Ronan O’Gara), it was his running game that most caught the eye with the Ireland U20s and Van Graan is excited by the innate footballing ability of his young playmaker.
‘I’ve been very impressed with Jack Crowley. He’s just got a certain feel about the way he operates. He’s a natural ball player and he just looks like a rugby player.
‘Certain guys just look like rugby players and he’s going to be good,’ said Van Graan yesterday. ‘I think there’s going to be some really good competition between himself, Ben Healy and Jake Flannery to get into the 23 in the first couple of games.’
The Munster academy has come in for criticism in recent years, particularly when measured against the success of its Leinster equivalent in churning out top ‘I quality homegrown talent, but the Munster coach believes the province’s internal production line offers optimism for the future.
‘Last year, we incorporated the academy in our training programme because we had the World Cup coming up. What’s different, I think, in these smaller groups is the one-on-one time.
‘All of a sudden you have (second row) Tom Ahern next to our senior international players and seeing what their standards are like,’ added the South African.
think that’s been brilliant. I’ve been really impressed with the academy lads. You can see that everyone has worked hard, but it’s the way the academy lads have tried to stay with the pace.
‘Somebody like Thomas Ahern, unfortunately with the cards he’s been dealt he couldn’t finish that U20 Six Nations when he was in such great form. All of a sudden now, he’s got to jump in a line-out with RG Snyman and he’s got Billy (Holland) and Fineen (Wycherley) around him. There’s a good balance there.’
Van Graan admitted that the time away from the pitch was a challenge for everyone but welcomed the opportunity for reflection and reappraisal and said his players are desperate for the return to action next month.
‘We are all aiming for that August 22 date,’ he stressed.
‘Everyone would play tomorrow if we could. We’re all missing the thing that binds us together, which is the game of rugby.
‘My mind has always been about learning and growth, so it’s been a fascinating experience for me personally. In terms of the management and players, we’ve all learnt and grown. I can’t tell you the amount of players who have said they’ve spent time thinking about their careers, the way they play the game.
‘Players have set goals and some have not achieved them.
‘There is a Pro14 to finish but we see that as the first competition tion that we are playing in the coming year. We’ve got two rounds of games to go and if we are good enough we’ll qualify for the semifinal and then there’s a semi-final and potentially a final. So that’s the way we’ve looked at it.’
While Carbery’s ongoing absence is a frustration, back five interna al Tadhg Beirne is expected to be fit after longterm injury and Munster will also have four additions when play resumes, the South African World Cup-winning duo of centre Damian de Allende and second row RG Snyman, ex-Saracens utility back Matt Gallagher and prop Roman Salanoa who switched south from Leinster. Van Graan is excited about what that quartet can bring to the operation but adamant that the influx of outsiders over recent seasons will not challenge the identity of the province. ‘We stated that we wanted to keep the Munsterness of Munster, but also add to that, and we’ve got two World Cup winners coming in. They have won a Rugby Championship together with a World Cup. Roman has been part of a very successful Leinster team and Matt’s been part of a very successful Saracens team. So that’s giving us more Championship-winning experience. ‘That will hopefully come in time but in terms of what they can add right now, it is hopefully being fit for that first game because the only thing we’re aiming for is that first game, to literally get back onto the pitch and play.’
‘He’s got a feel for rugby, he’s a natural ball player’