Donal Lenihan: Munster can't seem to navigate their way out of the storm
Munster head coach Clayton McMillan. Pic: INPHO/James Crombie
Right now, Munster Rugby is playing out like a scene from an old Laurel and Hardy comedy sketch. “Well, here’s another fine mess you’ve gotten me into”, says Hardy. When it comes to our dear province, who’s Laurel and who’s Hardy?
Professional rugby is a serious business. One would have thought that an opening for a top quality assistant coach at Munster would pose an attractive proposition for any coach, local or overseas, looking to develop his experience and CV.
That appears to have been the case when confirmation of Roger Randle’s appointment as attack coach emerged last week.“ I am incredibly excited to be joining a prestigious club like Munster who have such a rich history and incredible supporters” he said.
Read More
Unfortunately while Munster remain a prestigious club, that status is based more on historic achievements and past successes, both in Europe and against famous touring sides from New Zealand and Australia back in the amateur days.
The quality and integrity of its supporters has never changed, even if the numbers have fallen in recent times. That said, Munster have far more pressing issues to deal with right now. Every day it appears as if a new crisis is ready to unleash itself.
Already this season Munster have lost a quality home-grown coach in Mike Prendergast, recently described by Jack Crowley as “a great man. His ambition with attack, the way he sees the game. He drives the way he wants us to play and has been massive for me in my development”.
On the field, the failure to emerge as one of 16 teams, from a group of 24, and advance to the knockout phase of the Champions Cup is hugely disappointing as was the failure to make the quarter-final stage of the Challenge Cup.
The priority right now is to make the top eight of the URC. It’s only three years since Munster won that tournament on a famous day against the Stormers in Cape Town. Right now that appears beyond the scope of the current squad.
Instead a place in next season's Champions Cup has to be the main focus. On that front, a five-point return from a much improved performance against Benetton in Treviso last Saturday was a great start to what, in effect, amounts to a four game qualification phase in order to achieve that goal.
That excellent win places Munster’s destiny in their own hands even more so if, as expected, Ulster travel with an under strength squad to Thomond Park this weekend.
A failure to make the top eight will not only come as another blow to the status of the province but, with it, a loss of around €1m in guaranteed revenue next year at a time when Munster have announced a voluntary redundancy package on the back of anticipated losses of €700,000 this year.
That’s not a good look. New head coach Clayton McMillan must be wondering what he’s let himself in for and, along with his players, has been severely short-changed by continuing structural and organisational issues off the field.
At a time when the spotlight has already been shone on those shortcomings, the announcement that all three former players on the eight-person Professional Game Committee (PGC), Killian Keane, Mick O'Driscoll and Billy Holland, felt they had no option but to step down due to lack of consultation on Randle’s appointment is really disappointing.
I know all three extremely well. You couldn’t find a more honest, knowledgeable and competent trio, all with the best interest of Munster rugby at heart. The IRFU have placed similar checks and balances in all four provinces through their respective PGCs, where signings of this nature are discussed prior to being signed off.
I can fully understand why McMillan wanted to bring in a coach he has worked closely with in the past. In fact I think you’re asking for trouble appointing a new head coach and saddling him with an existing coaching ticket he knows little or nothing about as has happened in this case. Inevitably, his first year in charge is no more than a learning process.
When facing the press before the Benetton game, you could feel McMillan’s sense of frustration. "The job here isn't an easy one and as we all do in life, we lean on people we trust and have worked with before to navigate through situations just like this.”
Due to a serious alleged episode in his past, Randle’s appointment was always likely to prove problematic. Yet it was presented to the PGC as a ‘fait accompli’. I can confirm that the decision of the three former players to resign was based exclusively on the lack of consultation in the appointment process even if there were also serious concerns within the entire PGC that proper governance and due diligence wasn’t followed in Randle’s appointment.
Along with McMillan, Munster CEO Ian Flanagan and general manager Ian Costello, a newly created key role for which, I’m led to believe, there was no formal interview process, were the key men in Randle’s appointment.
McMillan clearly went to bat for Randle and was supported in getting it over the line by Costello and Flanagan. Whatever way you look at it, the failure to consult with the PGC, which is exactly what they are there for in the first place, before producing a contract was ill-advised at best.
At such a crucial phase of the season when there’s already massive pressure on everyone in the rugby side of the house to step up and deliver, the last thing Munster needed was even more debate focused on the day-to-day running of the organisation.
When Munster beat Leinster 14-31 in that memorable Croke Park victory last October, the signs were positive. Understandably many within the Munster hierarchy wore broad smiles in GAA headquarters that day with one proudly proclaiming to me that he saw the win as evidence of the gap between the two provinces closing significantly.
Despite that impressive performance, I didn’t share his optimism. While Munster played extremely well, especially in attack, it was the first time all season that Leo Cullen had access to his Lions players who were clearly short of game time.
While Leinster still appear to be chasing their tails when it comes to playing to the maximum of their abilities, they’ve reached the semi final of the Champions Cup and sit third in the URC with three games to go. They’re performance against Ulster in Belfast last Friday night suggests they just might be hitting top form at precisely the right time of the season.
Another worrying development for Munster has been the fall off in financial support from donors and benefactors that not only remain an integral part of the Leinster model but a significant source of finance for Munster in the past. This manifests itself in a willingness to cover or supplement the salary of a top quality overseas signings.
There was almost a feeling of mystique around a group of Munster donors known as the “1014 club” made up of successful businessmen willing to not only lend their expertise but to support the province financially, assisting in the funding and development of world-class facilities.
That backing has waned in recent times but Munster still have a commercial advisory committee still in place to offer similar support and advice. In yet another blow it emerged last Friday that some members of that committee have also resigned. When is this haemorrhage going to stop?
Munster still has the capacity to attract financial support from a number of high net worth individuals that I have spoken to recently but all are reluctant to consider the prospect in the current climate.
Sadly it may be the case that Munster have to hit rock bottom before the recalibration required to change things is fully addressed. How far away we are from reaching that point remains to be seen. IRFU executives are already examining Munster and the Randle question as a matter of urgency. It will be a surprise to no one at this stage, given what has emerged, if Munster are looking at alternatives to the New Zealander in the short term.
