Munster fail to make a stir in Windy City
In a city besotted by its NFL team, the Chicago Bears, currently in pre-season, and its two Major League baseball teams, rugby is struggling for recognition in the Windy City.
Rugby’s standing in the scheme of things this weekend in Chicago is a microcosm of the game’s place in the national psyche: no professional league, a national side comprising mainly of amateurs and a tag that has seen them described as both whipping boys and a sleeping giant. The US organisers in an attempt to crank up the publicity opened yesterday’s press conference at the Gage restaurant on Michigan Avenue to the public.
Munster trained in high humidity under grey skies while the starting XV also went through its final dress rehearsal. The starting lineout is infused with new talent and most interestingly a new half back partnership in Garryowen’s Jerry Hurley and Paul Warwick, who was signed from Connacht in the summer. Both are making their Munster debuts.
“They’ve both been going well at training,” said Kidney yesterday, “and it’s a great opportunity to see them under different circumstances in a competitive arena.”
Niall Ronan also makes his first start for Munster as will his former Leinster team-mate Kieran Lewis, the latter who spent most of the summer on Eddie O’Sullivan’s enlarged RWC squad. Mick O’Driscoll, who is still overcoming the disappointment of his exclusion from O’Sullivan’s 30-man squad, makes his 100th appearance for Munster in the second row.
Kidney said he hopes to see another summer signing Rua Tipoki return for the Saracens friendly on September 7 and felt it was prudent to leave the New Zealand Maori captain in Ireland to recuperate from a hamstring injury. Barry Murphy, who this summer underwent surgery on his troubled ankle where a ‘bony growth’ developed, is in Chicago, but Kidney won’t risk him against the Eagles.
Sunday’s Challenge Cup is the first of Munster’s three pre-season ‘friendlies’. Alan Gaffney’s Saracens and Viadana (September 14) visit Musgrave Park before the 2006 European champions kick off their Magners League schedule against Llanelli on September 22. Kidney admits Munster started last season a “little undercooked” and feels the three warm-up fixtures this season allows “more exposure in a competitive environment to the youngsters”.
Munster’s record against touring international sides has earned them an excellent reputation, but the US on away soil represents a different challenge. “This is the first time Munster are playing an international side away from home so there is a chance for the new boys to break new ground. That’s a huge ask really for such a young team to go out against an international team. But they’re looking forward to it and you never know.”
He cites James Coughlan as an example of increased competition for places. He has been doing well in training as well as Ian Dowling, Tomas O’Leary, Jeremy Manning and Darragh Hurley who don’t start, and points out that there has been a “a nice bit of a competitive edge” at training this week.
How Munster will play remains to be seen but Kidney did admit: “We’re trying out one or two things to see can we advance our way of playing. But, at same time, we don’t want to be losing our traditional way as well.”
Without his international contingent (12), the coach is looking forward to bringing through a new generation of players “because we want Munster to stay well up there in terms of the competitions — the Magners League and Heineken Cup”.
The Eagles arrived in Chicago yesterday with a squad mostly of amateur players. They’re preparing for the World Cup in a pool including South Africa, England, Tonga and Samoa.
Head Coach Peter Thorburn, a former All Black selector, combed the States over a 15-month period looking for athletes to boost his squad. It’s sprinkled too with experienced hands, who have prospered in the pro leagues in England and Wales. Newport Dragons centre Paul Emerick, former Llanelli fly-half Mike Hercus, 37-year-old Luke Gross (Doncaster), Chris Wyles (Northampton), and Mike McDonald (Leeds Tykes) should provide Munster with a tough test.
M Lawlor; J Kelly, L Mafi, K Lewis, A Horgan; P Warwick, J Hurley; F Pucciariello, D Fogarty, T Buckley; D Ryan, M O’Driscoll; J O’Sullivan, N Ronan, A Foley (capt). Replacements from: Darragh Hurley, T Ryan, M Essex, M Melbourne, T O’Leary, J Manning, T Gleeson, Denis Hurley, C O’Boyle. USA: C Wyles; S. Sika, P. Emerick, V. Esikia, T. Ngwenya, M. Hercus (capt.), T. Erskine, M. McDonald, B. Burdette, C. Osentowski, L. Gross, M. Mangan, L. Stanfill, T. Clever, H. Bloomfield. Replacements to be announced.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
