Could Graham Rowntree be the man to replace Johann van Graan?

The experienced forwards coach, who has inked a two-year contract extension with Munster, hasn't ruled himself out of the race to replace the departing Johann van Graan at the helm.

Munster forwards coach Graham Rowntree

Graham Rowntree has not ruled himself out of the running to be Munster’s next head coach after signing a two-year contract extension on Tuesday.

The experienced forwards coach, with assistant roles on his CV ranging from Leicester and Harlequins to England and the British & Irish Lions, gave Munster a much-needed boost after a period of turbulence by signing a new deal until at least June 2024. His decision to continue the role he took on after the 2019 World Cup with Georgia, comes in the wake of head coach Johann van Graan and senior coach Stephen Larkham announcing their intentions to depart at the end of the season.

That leaves Munster and the IRFU looking to fill two major vacancies at the province this summer while there is a suggestion of a management revamp which could see the reintroduction of the director of rugby position last held by Rassie Erasmus from 2016-17. The forwards coach was asked on Tuesday whether he had any interest in succeeding van Graan as head coach.

"I'm delighted to be re-signed in my current capacity,” Rowntree replied. “The head coach question, well that's one for another day but what I can tell you is that the club and all the parties concerned are very aware of my coaching aspirations."

Re-signing for an additional two years had been an “easy decision”, Rowntree said in the press release announcing his decision and during Tuesday’s media conference ahead of this Saturday’s United Rugby Championship derby with Ulster, he added: "Because I like it here so much. I think I've said before what I think of the club and the people here. My family have settled really well. I asked to sign for five years but they wouldn't have it.

"I'm just enjoying my time here and I'm delighted.

"The players are a humble group who want to get better. My job is to help them get better day in, day out. My family have been well received and it's important in our world to have a good balance of work and playtime - I've enjoyed that here."

Rowntree was sidelined for Munster’s two Heineken Champions Cup matches last month when he was one of 14 members of the province’s travelling party to test positive for Covid-19 in South Africa. That forced him into quarantine in Cape Town and 10 further days of self-isolation on his return to Ireland as Munster won at Wasps and then at home to Castres.

The former Leicester, England front-rower was back in the coaches’ box in Galway last Saturday but witnessed a toothless performance from Munster as they were beaten 10-8 by Connacht.

"I'd say it's a tad more than disappointing. Very frustrating,” Rowntree said of the manner of the defeat. “We had some good clearing-the-air meetings yesterday because that wasn't good enough from us. It just wasn't good enough at all.” 

Rowntree accepted Munster had been through plenty of disruption over the last six weeks with games postponed against the Bulls, Lions and Leinster but refused to use it as an excuse for last Saturday’s poor performance at the Sportsground.

"It is a challenge. You've got guys who haven't started a game or played for two months. Units have not prepared a lot of time together on the training field and you're constantly adapting.

"We had a session last week where he had two guys pulled from the session as we were walking to the session. But that's the same for every team and every club. There has been loads of disruption but that's no excuse for what happened Saturday night.

"We've highlighted the key areas where we've got to be better around our composure, around our discipline. We conceded 17 penalties, we don't do that. You're going to struggle to win a game giving that many away and they kept utilising those penalties to put us in the corner or take the points.

"Disruption is no excuse. I've been right in the middle of all those disruptions sat in a hotel in Cape Town with 14 other guys for 10 days and then came back and did another 10 days here in isolation, coaching from a laptop.

"We actually won some big games without me here but coaching through my laptop. Thank God for Pinotage and South African red wine, that's all I'll say."