'We have had tough times' - Barron keeping perspective after dramatic week

The Reds are preparing to host an All Blacks XV days after Graham Rowntree's shock exit.

Sat, 02 Nov, 2024 - 01:00

Simon Lewis

When he was told to jump on a Teams call with the entire Munster squad on Tuesday, Diarmuid Barron feared the worst.

The Munster family have endured their fair share of loss in recent years, most recently with the sudden deaths of Tom Tierney and Greig Oliver and the hooker was bracing himself for what might be coming when chief executive Ian Flanagan began to address the players.

The news that head coach Graham Rowntree had left by mutual consent with immediate effect was a shock, yet Barron was relieved it was no worse than that.

Said Barron: "Unfortunately in Munster over the last few years we have lost people and we have been told through Zoom calls, etc and obviously the sting of covid was probably still around. Obviously it's not good news to be receiving, but there was definitely a sigh of relief when it was not gone down that pathway. That puts a lot of perspective on it too. We have had tough times at Munster. It isn't easy and it is tough for Graham and tough for the club."

Barron, who will captain Munster against the All Blacks XV at Thomond Park tonight, said the squad had no inkling their boss was set to exit so suddenly, just six games into the season.

"I definitely didn't see it coming, we were told just before it was released to the media. It was strange, obviously a bit of shock around it, but we have got a pretty big task on our hands Saturday, so we couldn't dwell on it, we had to drive forward."

Once tonight’s match is over there will be time to reflect on the exit of a coach that guided so many of them to the first medals of their professional careers with the URC title in May 2023.

“We haven't seen him yet. We have been in contact, but haven't seen him,” Barron said. “I am very fond of Graham, a fantastic family as well, getting to know them over the past few years. I would like to think there will be a relationship that will continue on there, so absolutely fondly remembered, the work we have done with him and like many other players as well will cherish the time.

"He showed a lot of faith in me, along with the rest of the coaching ticket. I won my first trophy under him. He selected me as captain of Munster for the first time, so I have a lot to thank him for."

He added: "We just came in (on Wednesday), we had a meeting. Cossie (Ian Costello) headed the meeting, just explained what is going on and how we will drive forward for this week in particular. There is not going to be too much looking down the line when you have an All Blacks XV to play on Saturday so we have to prepare for that and that is what we did.

“I suppose there is a bit of a tribal sense when it comes to Munster in terms of people coming together. We’ve got to show that Saturday now too. There is no point in talking about it, you have to show that. Talk is cheap."