Irish Examiner View: A new beginning for Munster

Munster coach Graham Rowntree during squad training at the University of Limerick in Limerick. Picture: Matt Browne/Sportsfile

The appointment of Graham Rowntree as the coach of the Munster Rugby team this week will bring hope that a new leader will usher in a new era of success.

Rowntree’s appointment — effective from June 30 — was not a shock, particularly among those many fans to whom he has demonstrated the sort of loyalty to and engagement with the legendary Munster ethos since he arrived here in 2019.

Rowntree’s experience as a 54-cap England international, — as well as coaching with Leicester, Harlequins, Georgia, and three stints with the Lions — will have been strong credentials for the job, as well as his knowledge of the Munster setup.

As Donal Lenihan wrote on these pages, the “cultural make-up of the highly successful Leicester Tigers club he played for throughout his impressive playing career shares many similarities to what he encountered when arriving in Munster”.

Lenihan also points to the fact that he is Munster’s fifth head coach in 10 years, and says a return to the director of rugby model employed successfully under Rassie Erasmus would be beneficial to all parties. Rowntree’s coaching ticket has not yet been confirmed and will be crucial in his first gig as a head coach. There will be plenty of discussion as to its makeup before he takes up the role officially in July.

As many will point out, this season’s campaign is far from over, but the current coaching regime has a very tricky hurdle to negotiate in the second leg of the European Rugby Champions Cup round of 16 match against Exeter at Thomond Park on Saturday. Hopefully, there’ll be more European games to come this season before Rowntree makes the job his own.