O’Connell would love to see greater local representation in Munster backroom

Paul O’Connell feels Munster need to be mindful about the absence of any ‘locals’ on their backroom staff as they look to a new campaign with a new-look brains trust under Johann van Graan. The departures of Jerry Flannery and Felix Jones — to be replaced with Graham Rowntree and Stephen Larkham — has utterly changed the complexion of the ‘team behind the team’ in Limerick.

Rowntree and Larkham are men with storied playing careers and impressive bodies of work on the sidelines but it means the province will be guided by men with no links to the province, or to Ireland at large, for the first time.