Desperately seeking FUSION
Munster are searching for a Paris miracle today amid growing concerns about their sense of place, purpose and progress
WHEN the Munster squad stowed away their tray tables and fastened their seatbelts on the final approach to Paris, they knew they were touching down in miracle territory… they’ve been here before. Many times in fact, it is the place where the province created its own narrative of near-mythological romance while forging a reputation as one of the most formidable forces in Europe.
From the Bordeaux victory over Toulouse in 2000 and defining ‘Miracle Match’ against Gloucester three years later, through to Perpignan in 2009 and Harlequins in 2013, Munster – more than any other side in the game – have carried the capacity to extract unlikely victories from intensely challenging circumstances.
A win this afternoon, in the indoor entertainment centre that Racing 92 call La Défense Arena, would merit inclusion alongside all the others, not least because failure propels the province head-first into the European abyss.
The injury emergency at out-half, the humiliation in Belfast last weekend, the swirl of rumour and rancour around the camp – they are all combining to create a familiar against-the-ropes backdrop which previously has paved the way towards a Rocky-style response.
That possibility seems remote this time around because the DNA of this storied rugby entity appears to have radically altered.
The term ‘identity crisis’ has been hovering over the province for some time and raises its head in the wake of every significant defeat. This is understandable as winning creates its own identity but the word around the Munster camp fires is that there is a definite case to answer here.
For each of the aforementioned ‘miracles’, there was a common strand of inner purpose and focus, driven by a core of individuals who understood completely what was possible if the right buttons were pushed because they ‘got’ the Munster concept.
In contrast, the current operation appears to be beset by incoherency and confusion – unsure of who they are, what they are at or where exactly they are headed.
That may sound extreme but the growing consensus is that identity, or lack of it, is an ongoing concern that must be properly examined – starting with the man in charge.
IS VAN GRAAN THE MAN?
IN the wake of their Ravenhill humiliation, Johann van Graan pleaded for more time – not the strongest play for a man well into his third season as Munster head coach.
In the two years since Rassie Erasmus did a runner back to South Africa, his compatriot has yet to put a proper stamp on this team. In a shorter space of time, Dan McFarland at Ulster and Andy Friend over at Connacht have imposed their ways on their respective provinces with a clear sense of direction that has eluded Van Graan at Munster.
There is no defining style to serve as a foundation for progress, with little evidence that the South African has properly established himself as a commanding presence in comparison to his provincial rivals. He does present a personable, measured front in his public duties and, while the media tend to put too much store in inconsequential practices such as his habit of shaking the hand of every journalist before press conferences, it has served to keep harsher scrutiny at bay, thus far.
However, when you go beyond the public stage and delve into behindthe-scenes operations, the image is less convincing. Speaking to individuals close to the camp over the past week, the impression is of a man, in his first head coach position, struggling to cope with the magnitude of the role.
Still young in coaching terms (Van Graan turns 40 in March), insiders suggest the head coach is over-influenced by senior Munster players only a few years younger than himself and this is a source of frustration for the younger contingent – some of whom believe he has not followed through on talk of greater frontline exposure.
In terms of Van Graan’s coaching manner and philosophy, ‘scattered’ is the word that surfaces most regularly, with sources suggesting that clarity is being lost beneath an avalanche of confusing detail.
This would tally with Van Graan’s coaching background with the Bulls and South Africa, where he was renowned for his technical analysis in front of the computer, more than for his hands-on application on the training park.
He is understood to be very close with George Murray, Munster’s lead performance analyst who has been with the province for 18 years and is a familiar sight studying his laptop in the coaches box close to Van Graan.
The most successful Munster sides over the years have been characterised by a directness that was indulged to the point of predictability – the opposition knew what was coming but could still do little to counter it and the consensus is that, under Van Graan’s analytical template, the players are being dragged in too many directions to have any sure sense of where exactly they are going.
Nowhere fast under Van Graan seems to be the growing consensus and, while the plea for more time is understandable given the coaching upheaval that saw Stephen Larkham and Graham Rowntree replace Felix Jones and Jerry Flannery last summer, the reality is that – nine years on from their last trophy – Munster appear to be in a perpetual state of ‘transition’ and patience is wearing thin.
LEINSTER’S SHADOW
THERE is no question the incremental agonies of Munster’s trophy drought have been accentuated by Leinster’s progress from strength to strength over the same period.
The two provinces have always measured themselves against each other, and it was the initial chip-onshoulder resentment towards Leinster clubs in the All-Ireland League that fuelled Munster’s emergence as Irish rugby standard bearers in the 2000s.
However, that was then, there is a chasm now between the provinces that can’t be simply explained away by the greater commercial and talent supply line resources available to Leinster.
One less obvious area worth closer examination is the presence of Hugh Hogan on Leinster’s books. Leo Cullen and Stuart Lancaster deservedly garner most of the plaudits for Leinster’s on-field progress but Hogan, the highly respected former St Mary’s
No8 who works as ‘contact skills coach’ on Cullen’s backroom team is having a hugely significant impact.
Hogan’s brief, simply put, is to equip the players with the ability to extract maximum return from every physical engagement.
This extends from how best to carry the ball into contact, to tackle technique and ruck clear-outs, with Hogan schooling his charges on the best body position for every point of contact. It can all be grouped under the banner of ‘accuracy’ and the feedback is that Hogan is exceedingly good at his job with the players lapping it up.
The profits of this focus can be seen in each Leinster outing where, regardless of what players are selected, there is an accuracy to everything the team does.
Munster don’t have a Hogan equivalent and lack of accuracy is an ongoing issue – not least in Ravenhill last weekend when the visitors frequently made themselves easy targets for Ulster’s defenders, struggled to provide a worthwhile rucking platform and were oftentimes chaotic in defence.
A related issue are policies towards the Academy set-ups in the respective provinces. While Leinster’s schools system offers a constant stream of talent far superior to any other province’s, there is also an attitude of inclusivity from the top down, with undergraduate players viewed as an integral component of collective preparations.
That is less evident down south where there appears to be greater
6 Of the 12 Munster players picked in the recent Ireland squad get-together, only six hail from the province
demarcation. Even in terms of office proximity, the Leinster coaches, senior and Academy, are all housed on the one floor in their UCD base, whereas Munster’s senior coaches work on a different floor to their Academy equivalents in UL.
Given the historical rivalry and Munster’s previous status as the superior force, it may grate to take lessons from Leinster in how best to go about their business, but if they truly wish to emerge from the trough that has swallowed them up for the bones of 10 years, it would be smart to swallow pride and follow the example of the standardsetters in the Irish game.
CULTURE CLUB
WHEN you look at the franchise issues experienced by Wales and Scotland, the established provincial system in Ireland was a godsend when it came to adjusting to the requirements of the professional game. Leinster, Munster, Ulster and Connacht were brands that had roots in the mists of time and offered a ready-made template to expand upon in rugby terms.
But what is frequently forgotten is that the provinces, for years, were representative entities – you played for the province that produced you and there was an honour involved in representing your roots.
That concept was always going to be challenged by the market forces of professionalism but, while Leinster in particular have a proper sense of place with match squads that regularly feature upwards of 20 internally-produced players, Munster have moved too far away from their representative past.
Going back to the miracle matches of yore, those results were all achieved by a hard core of men playing for a cause that had defined them since first picking up a ball as kids – O’Connell, O’Gara, Stringer, Quinlan, Foley and a host of others.
That core still exists in the likes of Peter O’Mahony, Conor Murray, Keith Earls, Niall Scannell and several more keyfigures but it no longer seems to be the driving force – consumed by the flow of imported talent from other provinces, notably Leinster, and overseas.
A whopping 14 of Munster’s Champions Cup squad have been brought in from outside, which compares starkly to the mere five outsiders on Leinster’s European roster.
Indeed, of the 12 Munster players named in Andy Farrell’s initial 45man squad for the Six Nations, only six were from the province, with CJ Stander, Jean Kleyn, Joey Carbery, Andrew Conway, Chris Farrell and Mike Haley all imported.
The great Munster teams of the 2000s leaned on imports, from John Langford and Jim Williams to Doug Howlett and Rua Tipoki but they all bought into the culture enforced by the local core.
By weight of numbers alone, there feels like far less of a buy-in from the current crop and we are back to the issues of DNA and lost identity.
Factor in a coaching ticket of two South Africans (Van Graan and defence coach JP Ferreira), an Australian (Larkham) and an Englishman (Rowntree) and you are forced to wonder whether Munster, in attempting to plot a path to a more productive future, have lost something intrinsic along the way.
True identification with the team you are playing for can bring forth extra reserves of resolve, driven by the overwhelming desire not to let down the people invested in the same cause.
It is something Leinster worked hard to introduce into their makeup after the disappointments of the mid-2000s to huge success and a quality that once characterised Munster but, based on recent evidence, one that has been diluted.
This is the type of intangible that can flummox modern, scientifically-driven coaches but restoring that culture and identity is essential if Munster are turn things around.
A victory against the odds in Paris this afternoon would be the perfect place to start…