Johann van Graan: Munster will pick best possible team

Munster Rugby Squad Training, UL, Limerick 29/3/2022 Head coach Johann van Graan

Munster boss Johann van Graan has promised not to pull any punches with his team selection for tomorrow night’s derby clash with Leinster.

Munster face their provincial neighbours at Thomond Park in a rearranged United Rugby Championship clash postponed from St Stephen’s night when Leinster’s squad was hit by a Covid outbreak.

They meet for the first time in 2021-22 with Leinster, four in a row champions in the competition’s previous incarnation as the PRO14, once again setting the pace in the 16-team league.

Leo Cullen’s side are five points clear of nearest rivals Ulster with Munster third another three points back with the leaders also having a game in hand on them both.

Head coach van Graan has targeted a top-two finish to the regular season and the home semi-final draw in the play-offs that comes with it and with four games remaining before the knockout rounds he knows he has to throw the kitchen sink at Munster’s arch enemies this weekend.

The South African is set to name his matchday squad at noon and has welcomed back his Ireland contingent following their week off at the end of the Triple Crown-winning Six Nations campaign.

Captain Peter O’Mahony, fly-half Joey Carbery, prop Dave Kilcoyne and scrum-half Conor Murray could all feature for their province while a decision on lock/flanker Tadhg Beirne’s ability to play following a thigh injury was being delayed until the last possible moment. But wing Andrew Conway is definitely out with a knee problem.

Ireland squad members Craig Casey, Gavin Coombes and Jeremy Loughman featured for Munster in last Friday’s bonus-point URC win over Benetton in Cork and veteran wing Keith Earls, who missed the Six Nations due to a hamstring injury, returned to training this week.

"Yeah, look we'll pick our best available team,” van Graan said. “I'm not going to take a chance with anybody in the squad who is not 100 per cent ready to go because you need 23 fit guys to come up against Leinster.

"So everybody who is fit and available that comes through training will be assessed and we'll pick our best possible team in terms of guys who are fit and available.

"I'm not going to keep guys back in terms of squad management, everybody's available in terms of minutes, it's just how are their bodies and how are they mentally.” 

Munster have lost six league games in a row to Leinster and last won in December 2018 at Thomond Park, but they did win their most recent meeting, in the Rainbow Cup last April, a month after a demoralising 16-6 loss in last season’s PRO14 final.

That win, albeit against a weakened Leinster side, has given van Graan optimism that his side can be competitive this time around.

"Well, we've beaten them the last time that we played against them in Dublin and every game is different, I don't want to overstate that, this is a new game, a new competition and they're a phenomenal team, the current URC champions and that's a challenge, and we love a challenge.

"They always want to come up with their best and we lost against them in the final. It's always a big challenge against them.” Van Graan underlined why he thought it was such a big challenge when asked what sort of a contest he was expecting.

"I don't want to be too clever about the weather but at this early stage it seems that the weather is going to be good.

"I think with the way we've played in the last five weeks specifically, we're looking to keep some ball in hand.

"Obviously they're exceptional with ball in hand so I think both teams will play positive rugby, both are also the best defensively in Europe, conceding something around 1.4 tries per game.

"And I think the tactical battle, they have kicked a lot in behind us. I take you back to Thomond Park a year ago, that try of theirs that was kicked in behind us.

"Depending on who plays 10, they pepper our back three with high balls so it's getting the balance between the kicking game, attack and defence, and most importantly the breakdown battle.

"I think both teams have got some phenomenal poachers, ball carriers, I think of someone like Josh van der Flier specifically, who has become one of the very best ball carriers in the game, I would say.

"So great challengers on both sides of the ball, from our side I think someone like Gavin Coombes is carrying exceptionally well.

"So many battles to look forward to, I think of the centres, I think of the 9s and 10s, the front rows, the back threes, you can literally go all across the park.

"Very exciting from our side and like I said, it’s always great when Leinster play Munster.”