No further comment 'out of respect for Graham' will be made on Rowntree's departure

"It's exactly as you read it, mutually agreed between Graham, the IRFU and Munster, and unfortunately we can't comment any further than that for the respect of process, privacy, etc."

Fri, 01 Nov, 2024 - 06:45

Simon Lewis

For Munster supporters seeking an explanation as to why they are without popular head coach Graham Rowntree for Saturday’s clash with the All Blacks XV, there was precious little clarity coming his interim successor Ian Costello on Thursday.

Munster’s first opportunity to provide some context to the events of two days earlier, when they announced that URC title-winner Rowntree had departed as head coach just six games into the new season, was frustratingly short on detail despite several opportunities to give an account of events.

Diarmuid Barron, named as matchday captain by Costello, said in an interview under embargo until Saturday, revealed the playing squad was informed of Rowntree’s exit via an online address delivered by chief executive Ian Flanagan only moments before it was announced to the public yet Costello, the Munster Rugby Head of Operations, said he was unable to explain why he was now interim head coach.

Asked for a sense of how he and Munster had come to this point, Costello said: “Well I suppose in terms of what we're going to comment on, it's exactly as you read it, mutually agreed between Graham, the IRFU and Munster, and unfortunately we can't comment any further than that for the respect of process, privacy, etc.

“And there's obviously been a big reaction and a lot of stuff we've had to deal with since, we've worked our way through that and toward the weekend as well.”

A follow-up prompt to shed light on the matter came when it was suggested that the timing of the departure was at best unfortunate, just weeks into a URC campaign which had seen an injury-hit Munster team eke just two wins from their opening six matches.

“It's a massive change and a massive transition any time your head coach leaves, and it's never going to be a good time,” the interim head coach answered before shifting focus to the weekend ahead and a sell-out clash with New Zealand’s shadow squad.

“In a strange kind of way, this week, because when you're dealing with something like this we obviously had to deal with it for a few days, but having such a big occasion, special occasion at the end of the week before we go into a break gives us a chance, and gives any sports people a chance to process it.

“And that's what we've really tried to do. We would have done it anyway this week. It is pretty unique and special, but we have really tapped into that, how do we embrace the occasion? How do we make it special? How do we put the lads in a position where they really, really enjoy it?”

Costello said he wanted his players to deliver a performance form a united squad that the supporters could identify with on Saturday night but did he understand they, not least the 26,267 who snapped up tickets to watch it inside an hour of them going on sale, would like some more concrete answers?

“Yeah, look, I totally get it and I totally appreciate it, and again, and sorry to go back to it, but again, it's out of respect for Graham and what they mutually agreed and respecting the process that we can't comment any further than that.”

Costello’s first team of the post-Rowntree era features a welcome return to fitness for Peter O’Mahony and a post-injury debut for summer signing Diarmuid Kilgallen but the interim boss said the bulk of Munster’s long list of rehabbing players would start coming back on stream for their next URC fixture, at home to the Lions on November 30.

In the meantime, with six Munster players in Ireland camp in Portugal this week ahead of the Autumn Nations Series, six academy players feature in the matchday 23 to face the tourists with a potential debut for Ireland U20 captain and lock Evan O’Connell and a continuing reliance on academy front-rowers Kieran Ryan and Ronan Foxe in the ongoing absence through injury of six senior props, four looseheads and two tightheads.

As to how many will be back in time to face the Lions at Thomond Park in four weeks, Costello could only offer Dave Kilcoyne while fellow international loosehead Jeremy Loughman could be absent until the New Year. Efforts are being made to bring in temporary reinforcements but are constrained by the IRFU-imposed moratorium on signing non-Irish qualified front-rowers.

“You just have to find the best solution and we’re working through those now at the moment,” Costello said. “We have been working through those for about a week. More important things have happened this week but in the background we’ve kept tipping away with those.

“Even tomorrow we’ll have time to go back to that again. So we’ll go back to the props scenario tomorrow and look at what the best options are.”

MUNSTER (v All Blacks XV): M Haley: S McCarthy, T Farrell, R Scannell, D Kilgallen; B Burns, E Coughlan; J Ryan, D Barron - captain, S Archer; F Wycherley, T Ahern; P O'Mahony, J Hodnett, G Coombes.

Replacements: N Scannell, K Ryan, R Foxe, E O'Connell, R Quinn, P Patterson, T Butler, B O'Connor.