Playing the generation game

AS SURE as night follows day, rugby players retire and fresh talent emerges. I was extremely fortunate to kickstart my international career in the company of some of the greats of Irish rugby including Moss Keane, Fergus Slattery, Willie Duggan and Ollie Campbell.

Within three seasons of my debut all those great players were forced into retirement and the world didn’t end. Not only that, but after their departure in 1984 a new bunch emerged producing not only a Triple Crown but Ireland’s last championship success in 1985.

It’s less than two years since Munster’s finest day in Cardiff and already Trevor Halstead has retired, Shaun Payne has been appointed team manager while John Kelly, Anthony Foley and John Hayes are approaching the twilight of tremendous careers.

With that in mind the most pleasing aspect of Munster’s performance against the Dragons in the Magners League last Saturday night was not the result, but the manner in which so many of the next generation of home grown talent rose to the challenge.

Despite the poor quality of opposition provided by the Dragons there were performances to savour in all three rows of the Munster scrum with Tony Buckley, Donncha Ryan and Niall Ronan producing quality displays.

Six months ago, Buckley was bound for Bath having struggled to make any lasting impact since his debut in the Magners League in 2005. His career was at a crossroads. Faced with the reality of travelling abroad to retain a professional contract, Buckley was forced out of the comfort zone.

Thankfully the Munster management reassessed his situation and prevented the move with a renewed offer. Since then, the gigantic Shannon forward made his international debut against Argentina last summer and has gone from strength to strength.

Having been exposed to the demands of top level rugby, it seems to have dawned on the north Cork native that he possesses the quality to make it at the highest level. Recognising that John Hayes cannot continue indefinitely, Buckley, whose scrummaging has improved immeasurably, must realise that with continued hard work, a promising career beckons at both provincial and national level.

In his last three appearances against Wasps, Clermont Auvergne and the Dragons, Buckley has displayed a new found aggression and explosive power which marks him as a potent ball carrier. The tight head prop is the cornerstone of any team and Ireland badly need back-up to the evergreen Hayes, Ireland’s best forward at the World Cup.

Buckley’s recent performances offer genuine hope that a quality replacement is waiting in the wings.

Munster have never been short of quality in the second row, a fact forcibly underlined by the contribution of Mick O’Driscoll in the continued absence of Paul O’Connell.

While O’Driscoll produced another outstanding display on Saturday night it was his young partner in the second row, Donncha Ryan, who really caught the eye. Injuries have prevented the Tipperary man from accumulating more game-time in recent seasons but once again his undoubted qualities were there for all to see. An outstanding athlete, Ryan plays every game full on, with a roguish glint in the eye that marks a special talent. While O’Driscoll, O’Connell, and Donncha O’Callaghan still have plenty years of competitive action in them, Ryan will ensure that the seasoned pros have cause to look over their shoulder.

Likewise in the back-row Foley, David Wallace and Alan Quinlan, all well into their thirties will need replacing over the next few seasons. In this respect the emergence of Niall Ronan who joined Munster this year after a few seasons with Leinster is welcome. He is a genuine open side wing forward and his pace, ball skills and intelligence as a link player offer Muster different options to the present back-row mix. With James Coughlan also in the Munster squad and starring regularly for Dolphin in the AIL, a number of home-grown options are appearing on the horizon.

Behind the scrum, Peter Stringer looks to have regained the confidence and is displaying a level of enthusiasm that ensures he will fight all the way to regain his international slot. In the absence of his usual understudy Tomas O’ Leary due to illness, another emerging talent Gerry Hurley received sufficient game time on Saturday to suggest that the scrum half production line in the province is still in full flow.

While everyone awaits the arrival of Doug Howlett after Christmas with some expectation, the continued development of Denis Hurley at full back offers Declan Kidney further options in the months and years ahead. Hurley produced his most accomplished attacking display for Munster last weekend and was always a threat on the counter-attack. The try which he set up from deep in his own half for Kieran Lewis offered a glimpse of a great talent in waiting.

With a brand new stadium on the way, concerns have been expressed as to whether Munster will continue to be force in the increasingly competitive European arena. Under those circumstances the display of so many of the younger generation against the Dragons shows that a new blood-line is emerging and ready to challenge some of the greatest players ever to represent the province.

After the trauma of the World Cup and with places on the Irish team certainly up for grabs as the Six Nations approaches, Friday night’s clash between Munster and Leinster in Musgrave Park offers even more incentive than normal. The rivalry between provinces has intensified enormously in the professional era with Munster’s consistently high performances in Europe creating even more pressure on Leinster.

Munster’s defeat of Brian O’Driscoll’s men in the semi-final of the Heineken Cup at Lansdowne road two seasons ago was a seminal moment in the province’s relationship. Felipe Contepomi’s admission that Denis Leamy’s, Donncha O’Callaghan’s and Ronan O’Gara’s don’t feature on his Christmas card list adds additional spice.

Once again, Leinster enter this game on the back of two contrasting performances in the Heineken Cup against Leicester and Toulouse. They too are doing their bit in ensuring the next generation of Irish players with Luke Fitzgerald, Rob Kearney, Jonathan Sexton, Cian Healy and Jamie Heaslip also at various stages of development on the road to promising international careers.

While not all of these young players will make the starting line up on Friday night, there will be sufficient incentive and quality on display for both teams to ensure that a capacity crowd will be treated to another pulsating instalment in a long rugby tradition.