Ready to fill the jersey?
Not if the Munster Academy continues to produce stellar talent. Donal Lenihan examines the next generation
IT’S hard to believe the 10th anniversary of Munster’s first appearance in a Heineken Cup final is now within touching distance. It is even more difficult to comprehend that, considering the physicality of the modern game, five of that match-day squad are still soldiering at the coal-face.
David Wallace and Ronan O’Gara were central figures in the emotional roller-coaster events against Northampton, with Wallace scoring Munster’s first-half try. O’Gara endured the agony of watching his potential match-winning penalty shave the post as Munster lost by a single point. Peter Stringer and John Hayes also played, while Alan Quinlan was on the bench.
All five saw game time when the Saints were put to the sword at Thomond Park in the quarter-final last month. By way of contrast, Northampton’s backs coach Paul Grayson was the only remaining link from their triumphant side.
Factor in the mileage that Marcus Horan, Paul O’Connell, Jerry Flannery and Donncha O’Callaghan have also accumulated for club and country over the past eight years and the realisation dawns that time is not on the side of these great servants. Of the starting pack that faced Northampton, only James Coughlan, making his first Heineken Cup start at the tender age of 29, was under thirty.
Replacing iconic figures such as these would tax the greatest of clubs, no matter how deep their pockets, and in any case Munster have a policy whereby at least 80% of their squad will be home grown and part of the fabric of the province.
That is why the role of the Munster Academy is so important. While it cannot be the only avenue for players to graduate to professional rugby – Coughlan is living proof that a late developer plying his trade in the All-Ireland league still has the chance to make it – it represents a vital ingredient in the development of the young talent in the province.
Since its inception six years ago, under the excellent tutelage of the first academy manager Hamish Adams and his successor, current incumbent Ian Sherwin, the academy has beavered away in the background and even in its relatively short history has already harnessed the skills and development of a British and Irish Lion in Keith Earls, a selected Lion in its first ever academy player of the year, Tomás O’Leary, and a generous sprinkling of internationals in Donnacha Ryan, Denis Hurley, and Connacht’s Seán Cronin.
Darragh and Denis Hurley, Denis Fogarty, Jeremy Manning, Earls, O’Leary and Ryan all have Heineken Cup medals while Billy Holland and Tom Gleeson have also been in Heineken Cup match day squads this season. The purpose of the academy is to produce players capable of playing at Magners League level and hopefully graduate to play in the Heineken Cup. Everything else is a bonus.
With a 25% attrition rate in Munster’s annual squad due to non renewals, retirements, injury and players moving on to other professional squads, it is recognised that Munster must be pro-active in developing its own stream of talent.
The regime is very challenging with a typical week incorporating three gym, two field, two skills, a core/flexibility session and two video sessions (see accompanying spread-sheet). Many players spend a year proving they have the commitment required in the sub academy (non-contract) before progressing to a three-year contracted programme which is subject to review on an annual basis. While the programme is part funded by the IRFU, it would not function without the generous annual contribution received from the Munster Supporters Club. As with all programmes of this nature, there is no guarantee of a senior contract, even for someone completing the full three year cycle. Some players have been released during the process if it is felt they may not be cut out for the professional game, and that can be a body blow for the individual concerned.
For others, there is the exciting prospect of a development contract with Tony McGahan’s squad even before completing the full three-year programme, as will happen to three academy members at the end of this season, in addition to a number of others who have done the full stint and are also set to join the senior squad in July.
A huge amount of determination and dedication is required on behalf of all the young men in the academy, at a time when their peers are enjoying a good social life. The programme itself is very detailed and outside of the standard sessions, other areas addressed include lifestyle management, nutrition, dealing with the media, motivation techniques, goal-setting, financial and tax planning. Even cookery lessons and demonstrations are organised so players living away from home can prepare and eat the right food. All players are actively encouraged to pursue some third-level qualification in an effort to get away from the blinkered lifestyle of professional athletes. Time management is therefore a big requirement also. All the players in the programme operate under the tutelage of full-time academy staff in former UCC and Shannon coach Ian Sherwin, former international Ken O’Connell, Ray Egan and strength and conditioning experts Paudie Roche and Fergal O’Callaghan.
They interact on a constant basis with the senior squad where they not only learn from the likes of Donncha O’Callaghan, Paul O’Connell, Doug Howlett and Ronan O’Gara, but observe first hand the values that make a Munster player tick. In addition McGahan, who takes a very active interest in the running of the academy, along with skills coaches Anthony Foley, Laurie Fisher and Jason Holland, also works frequently with the players.
While the Munster Academy may not enjoy the same profile as their Leinster counterparts who, to their credit, have produced a string of Heineken Cup players recently in new internationals Kevin McLaughlin, Seán O’Brien, Cian Healy and Jonny Sexton, such has been the consistency and longevity of so many of the current Munster team that the opportunities for their counterparts have been limited.
In the recent Magners League victory over high-flying Connacht, there was enough evidence to suggest the reserve talent is being nurtured and is waiting in the wings for the opportunity. Up front, Dave Ryan looks capable of challenging Horan in time, as will the unfortunate Darragh Hurley who has been stifled by injury. He will be back to mount a challenge next season. Young Stephen Archer also caught the eye when he answered an early season injury crisis at tight head prop.
If and when the O’Connell/O’Callaghan second row pairing finally call it a day, then the richly talented Ian Nagle and Dave Foley, who are both progressing nicely, look to be up to the mark.
The back row is also populated by a rich vein of promising young talent led by Billy Holland and Tommy O’Donnell. Behind them Peter O’Mahony and Paddy Butler have made huge strides in the A set up under Anthony Foley, while Kieran Essex, Brian O’Hara and Eoin Grace are all fighting to get to the next level.
Traditionally, Munster have produced more talented home-grown forwards than backs – something the academy management are keen to address – but O’Leary and Earls prove that Munster are always capable of unearthing a few gems. On recent evidence, Scott Deasy is really starting to make a name for himself while recent graduates Tom Gleeson and Duncan Williams look more confident and capable with every outing.
Danny Barnes, Simon Zebo, Declan Cusack and Conor Murray are all learning their trade and offer fresh encouragement that a new generation of young backs will also be pressing for recognition in the not-too-distant future.
Of course, Munster will always pursue and attract top quality overseas internationals like Jean de Villiers, Howlett, Jim Williams and Christian Cullen and I have no issue with that as they bring fresh ideas and a varied approach into the mix. All of those players have added value to what Munster is all about, and even more importantly make a significant contribution to the development of the younger players.
The Munster Academy, while still in its infancy, has already made its mark and it is essential for the continued excellence of the team that it continues to evolve and get better. The real challenge will come when the mid-30s brigade step down. There is a danger that if a number of the leading lights were to depart at the same time, too much could be asked of their understudies. Then again, on the evidence of what we saw in the Sportsground in Galway recently, there is always someone willing to do the jersey proud.
* Donal Lenihan is chairman of the Munster Academy programme.
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