Munster's Mike Prendergast: 'Rome wasn't built in a day'
PROJECT: Attack coach Mike Prendergast during a Munster rugby squad training session at the University of Limerick in Limerick. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
Mike Prendergast has clear ideas as to how he wants Munster to attack this season but the assistant coach is equally aware that it will take time to bring everything to fruition.
The former Munster player is one of a number of new faces among a brains trust that is now headed by new head coach Graham Rowntree with Andy Kyriacou and Denis Leamy in charge of the forwards and defence respectively.
Prendergast returns to the club he served as a player after nine years coaching four different sides in France. Highly respected, his arrival from Racing 92 has been seen as a huge boost to a side that has underwhelmed too often with ball in hand.
“In terms of my philosophy coming back to Munster and speaking to Graham about the way we wanted to implement our framework, we'll probably be a team that will be looking to hold onto the ball, ask questions of the defences.
“The framework is something we try to strip back and make it quite easy for players to make good decisions: good decisions with good skill levels. They're all our work-ons at the moment and there's a lot more around that. We'll look to build on those two areas every week.” Rowntree paraded his first Munster team in the pre-season friendly against Gloucester last week and he will put out another selection minus their established internationals against London Irish at Musgrave Park this Friday.
A long season lies ahead and much work is there to be done.
“I'm sure it's going to take a bit of time,” said Prendergast of his attacking brief, “coaches will always tell you that. It's a cliché but Rome wasn't built in a day. As coaches, we've got to change habits of certain individuals and that takes time.
“We've a big group in now training, a lot of young guys, so we're trying to upskill them as well. When the URC comes into play, things will calm down and the younger boys will have games with their clubs, which is hugely important as well.” The province's most senior men are still being reintegrated back into the pre-season but there is still no date pencilled in as to whether they will be available for action. That may break down into individual slots yet.
There is plenty to pique the interest in their absence.
Three academy players – Ruadhan Quinn, Conor Phillips and Edwin Edogbo – made their senior debuts in that defeat to Gloucester while new signings Malakai Fekitoa and Chris Moore also saw some action.
Prendergast has been deeply impressed with the younger cohort and their willingness and ability to learn.
“They are good students of the game. It's something that was quite visible when I arrived in here. They ask good questions. Maybe at times they're a bit shy in front of a group to ask it but they'll come into your coaches' office or meet you in the corridor and they're not afraid to ask on how I want to improve for each position. From that point of view, definitely very impressive.
“We saw a couple of those names there and a few more in behind. That's what we want, we want to build our depth chart effectively. Having those young boys in at the moment, we train quite quick but you don't see a huge difference between them and maybe some of the interprovincial players.”
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