Duncan Casey: Anyone strongly allied to Rowntree's Munster was in a sticky spot

Munster state that head of athletic performance Ged McNamara is currently ‘on leave’ but sources say this is also a permanent departure. 

Graham Rowntree and Andi Kyriacou before a 2022 Munster URC game. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

What a difference an international window can make. When Graham Rowntree’s departure was announced six weeks ago, Munster looked to be in complete disarray. Glaring issues on both sides of the ball, epitomised by a painfully unreliably set piece, had given us a team that was playing with little confidence or cohesion in the opening block of the season. 

The head coach being shown the road six games in merely reinforced the impression that things were all over the place.