Prendergast: 'We need a result this week'

ALL TO PLAY FOR: Attack coach Mike Prendergast yesterday agreed that Saturday’s visit to Stade Felix Mayol had “all or nothing” consequences following the home draw with Bayonne and away loss at Exeter Chiefs last month. Pic: Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile

It may not be the entire cavalry coming over the hill to Munster’s rescue but a trio boasting considerable experience and including a departing fly-half on a mission to go out on a high represents a much-needed boost for this Saturday’s trip to Toulon.

Joey Carbery, flanker Peter O’Mahony and hooker Niall Scannell could all be back in Graham Rowntree’s matchday selection mix for the must-win Champions Cup pool game in France this weekend.

Attack coach Mike Prendergast yesterday agreed that Saturday’s visit to Stade Felix Mayol had “all or nothing” consequences following the home draw with Bayonne and away loss at Exeter Chiefs last month so welcoming back a Test-capped trio backboned by Ireland centurion O’Mahony could prove invaluable to securing knockout European rugby in the next two weeks with English Premiership leaders Northampton Saints due at Thomond Park seven days later.

There is also hope Patrick Campbell (shoulder), Oli Jager (concussion), Alex Nankivell (ankle), and Fineen Wycherley (shoulder) will be available for Friday’s team announcement while all three of the previously named successfully came through yesterday’s training in Limerick having overcome wrist (Carbery), shoulder (O’Mahony) and groin (Scannell) injuries. 

The Munster assistant is optimistic they will be ready for duty come the weekend, providing they present with a clean bill of health for tomorrow’s session at the province’s High Performance Centre.

“Yeah, from an experience point of view, guys that have been there and done that, that will help us a huge amount,” Prendergast said.

“Someone like Pete, even in the week, the build-up to the game, what he brings and what players do around him, he just has that about him and guys react in a very good way. I feel it as a coach.

“Likewise with Joey, obviously his news this week, he’ll be moving on at the end of the season but you can see he wants to do something before he goes which is great as well. So he brought in new energy.

“And Niall Scannell, it’s been a very frustrating year for Niall, he just hasn’t played. Did a pre-season and got injured really early. He was part of what we did last year as well and these guys just want to kick in.

“In terms of timing, new competition, three or four players back, it’s great to have it to be honest with you.” 

Prendergast shrugged off Carbery’s exit after six injury-hit seasons and only 56 appearances following his 2018 move from Leinster as part and parcel of professional sport but also saw a positive side from the fly-half’s final six months as a Munster player.

“Yeah, there’s little challenges but there’s excitement behind that as well. I think there’s excitement for Joey from now to the end of the season and you can feel it out there, there’s a spring in his step and it gives us good balance that’s he’s around and I suppose next year will be another year and we’ll see what that brings and who that brings, we don’t know at the moment.” 

The attack coach did not rule out a move to bring in an experienced number 10 for next season but he and Rowntree have advanced the cause of current first-choice fly-half jack Crowley and been impressed by the assured performances of academy playmaker Tony Butler, who started the January 1 URC derby loss at Connacht.

“We’ll just see what’s out there and what we’re allowed bring in. Someone like Tony Butler has stood up and got good game time. I thought he did quite well against Connacht in challenging conditions and he’s played a few other games that he’s done well in. He shows it outside, he’s a very calm guy and I think with the right people and players around him he can definitely grow.

“We’ll have those conversations in the next few weeks when things settle a small bit and we can get our head around other stuff as well because it’s just game after game at the moment. The two competitions we’re in, you’re in play-off rugby at the moment in terms of two games left in the Champions Cup and then the URC, you look at the three domestic competitions in Europe at the moment, from most points to in around that mid-table it’s competitive and it’s probably something to do with the World Cup. I’m not sure the ins-and-outs but it seems most teams are more compact this year and that’s just the way it’s been.” 

As for all or nothing this weekend, Prendergast added: “Yeah, for Europe it is. Definitely. Absolutely.

“Toulon still have a lot to play for, like ourselves, but it’s still very much open in terms of qualification. Yeah, that’s where we’re at, at the moment, and it’s cliched stuff, it’s week by week and all we can look at is this week because we need a result this week. That’s the reality, and there’s an excitement with that as well.

“We’ve been in a position last year, and we can’t always go back and put too much on that, but at the end of last season we went away a lot and got results, and it’s something you can reflect on at times and take some confidence from it.

“You could feel it on Monday coming back in, a new competition and there was a bit of excitement getting a couple of boys back… “This is different. We’re getting nearly to a knock-out situation and that brings its own excitement. You’re going over to Toulon, a huge club like we are ourselves in Europe. Thoroughly looking forward to it.”