Coach Matt Brown hopes Munster push their game to greater heights

Maeve Óg O’Leary and Matt Brown. Pic: Tom O'Hanlon/Inpho

Head coach Matt Brown wants defending champions Munster to bring the same physicality and intent to their game when they begin their Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship campaign at home to Leinster in Cork on Saturday.

Munster, captained by flanker Maeve Óg O’Leary, completed a clean sweep in last season’s championship, their wins over then reigning titleholders Leinster and Ulster coming away from home.

“I think we played some really nice rugby last year but the physical element in the collisions, both the tackle and the ball carry is something we’ve pushed this year and it gives us a platform to play.

“I think the standout for me was the fact that we got so many of the fundamental skills right.

“It gave us the opportunity to play a really nice brand and I’m hoping that’s the same again because you want to push the game as well on a bigger scale. You want people to enjoy what they’re seeing and the brand of rugby played in the women’s game, it can be really attractive but you’ve got to get a lot of basics right.

“So I suppose that in the highlight, how we actually performed in the games and yes, obviously we got the win so it was fantastic but you look at certain players, even Maeve Óg O’Leary our captain, who is a really incredible human apart from the rugby side of things, just the way she approaches contact and the way she’s so positive around the group.

“Just when you see people where it means so much to them, you can’t help but just row in behind them. So between that and the way we approach the games would be massive highlights for me from last year.”

O’Leary will lead Munster once again this time around with all provinces having their international players available a year after the championship was played in the shadow of World Cup preparations.

Brown has seen the benefits of having his own star players return to the fold as he oversees a 30-player squad with mix of development players stepping up from U18 level, seasoned clubwomen backboned by a big contingent from AIL champions UL Bohemian, and the centrally-contracted internationals as well as incoming back-rower Grace Moore of Ealing Trailfinders.

“It’s great. It serves a couple of purposes,” Brown said.

“The girls who probably aspire to get to that level, they see what’s needed. I suppose you’ll always have a couple of concerns when you bring in perhaps two, probably three in this case, groups together between our development, our existing players, and then bring some centralised girls and you’re hoping that they kind of mesh together.

“But I have to say, even just on a social level for the group, they’ve been great and they’re so helpful and they’re great with the young girls.

“There’s a great atmosphere and credit to them and all the girls really for just buying into what we’re about and the whole thing is just to make the provincial team as strong as possible.”