McGahan: Flannery has big future in coaching

Munster coach Tony McGahan has backed Jerry Flannery for a successful coaching career following the Ireland hooker’s decision to retire from professional rugby due to injury.

Flannery, 33, yesterday announced his decision to call time on a career that brought him two Heineken Cup winners’ medals with Munster in 2006 and 2008 and a Grand Slam with Ireland in 2009, having failed to overcome calf and back problems that restricted the Limerick man to just eight appearances for his province in the last three seasons.

The future, though, looks bright for Flannery as he continues a masters degree in sports performance at the University of Limerick and if the former front rower decides to pursue a coaching career after 94 appearances for Munster and 41 Ireland caps, McGahan said yesterday he had all the attributes.

“I think so. You come across a lot of players with a lot of feel for the game,” the Munster director of rugby said. “He certainly has a deep understanding of it, he has a thirst for knowledge as regards to that and good communication skills, good interpersonal skills.

“But I think he’s a got a genuine love of the game and I think someone like Jerry, who’s had to work so desperately hard to get to the top of his profession, both with Munster and Ireland... he’s forced his way into the British & Irish Lions selection and he understands the process to get there.

“I think more importantly he’s got an understanding of his craft — being a hooker and all the elements surrounding that through what a hooker’s role is, in defence and attack, at breakdown level. So I think if he chose that route, he’d have a lot to add to whatever group he was with.”

From a Munster point of view, the outgoing head coach agreed Flannery was an asset not to be cast aside. “Absolutely, especially somebody like Jerry, who’s built up such intellectual knowledge across a lot of areas. He’s got a deep understanding of it and an ability to articulate that and he’d add value to any organisation.”

Add to that a fighting spirit that kept Flannery going these past two seasons, in spite of exhaustive medical treatment for calf problems and then a back injury.

“It’s certainly been a tough road for him, ever since he was injured two years ago, and if there’s one thing you can say, he gave it every opportunity to get back,” McGahan said. “He’s gone through every remedy, he’s tried everything he possibly could and exhausted every avenue to get himself back.

“He’s gone through a tremendous sacrifice to get himself back, very much the same way he approached his career really, and we’re all saddened by his departure from the Munster squad.”

Flannery last appeared for Munster on New Year’s Day, 2011 when his troublesome calf broke down at the end of the second half against Ulster at Thomond Park, having been introduced as a 53rd-minute substitute. He would recover sufficiently well to make Ireland’s World Cup squad last September but having played the last 19 minutes of the opening pool game against the USA, Flannery’s tournament was brought to an end by further injury. It was his last game as a professional.

“From my perspective, he put so much effort in and so much energy into getting to the World Cup I think after it broke down, it was certainly looking difficult to come back,” McGahan said.

“He gave himself every opportunity. I thought the energy and effort he put in for getting to the World Cup and then getting injured there, that coming back from there was certainly very difficult.”