'On the cheap' - Keith Earls backs Conor Murray's criticism of Munster's ambition

Earls claimed the constant turnover of coaches and gameplans during his Munster career was 'shocking'

Keith Earls and Conor Murray during their Munster days together. Pic: Ryan Byrne, Inpho

Keith Earls has joined Conor Murray in questioning the Munster rugby hierarchy, claiming the constant turnover of coaches and game-plans throughout his Munster career post-Declan Kidney was “shocking”.

Speaking onstage with Murray – who has joined him now in retirement – in Thomond Park on Thursday night at the launch of the latter’s new book ‘Cloud Nine: My Life in Rugby’, Earls seconded some of the criticisms Murray has in his book about the Munster organisation which presided over both Lions and multiple Six Nations championship winners failing to even play in a European Cup final in their respective careers in red.

“[Conor] spoke how different the game-plans were for Munster. Every game-plan under the sun, we played. We had to adapt to it. That’s one of my biggest regrets with Munster: we only started playing a proper brand of rugby in 2023 [when they won the United Rugby Championship], whereas it was absolutely shocking for my whole career after Declan Kidney.

“The brand of rugby under Rassie [Erasmus] was winning but the game Conor missed [the 2017 European Cup semi-final against Saracens] was probably the one game we needed him most. We weren’t let play rugby until we got within 40 metres from Saracens’ [tryline] so that’s 60 metres of the pitch that’s all just kicking. I know Duncan Williams got abuse for that game-plan. It hurt us.” 

Conor Murray with his new book ‘Cloud Nine: My Life in Rugby’,

Earls didn’t get round to commenting on Rob Penney’s touchline-to-touchline game-plan from 2012-2014 which Murray himself in his book remarks was too unrealistic and demanding for a scrumhalf – “It was torture because you ended up being a long-distance runner, running over and back and over and back all afternoon”.

But Earls did question some of the game-plans Johann van Graan went with, like for the 2018 European semi-final against Racing 92 when Munster put a primacy on drop-goals, something they hadn’t gone with before.

“Johann changed the game-plan for certain big games and we were like, ‘Well, you don’t believe so the game-plan we’ve been doing all year works?’ 

“It was just constant turnover. Players, coaches and game-plans. You’d be thinking ‘Just leave us be, lads, and figure it out.’ 

“We went through a rough period under Axel [Foley] but we had just lost a lot of senior players so we were trying to figure out, ‘Okay, this is our team. Munster were successful because it was ROG’s and Paulie’s team, they were players and had influence and everyone rowed in behind them. Can we do something [player-driven] the same?

“Instead there was this constant turnover. There were some good head coaches but other staff would have let them down.” 

He was also critical of the club’s ambition, echoing concerns Murray has raised in his book.

“At the end of the day it was all about winning European Cups for us [Murray and Earls]. You give me five European Cups playing with Toulouse and I couldn’t care. Like Conor said, one European Cup with Munster is all we ever wanted.

“But I don’t know what the club wanted. Getting players in on the cheap, getting some coaches in on the cheap.

“I always thought it was like there was some puppeteer somewhere. Like, all our coaches got a bad rap after they left. So it’s the whole organisation you have to look at. Who’s up top, deciding upon and hiring the coaches? Can all the coaches have been wrong? You have to look at the players as well.

“There’s a big thing has to be done in Munster rugby if you’re going to see us in European finals again.” 

Murray himself meanwhile confirmed to the Examiner that he is retiring.

“I had left it open-ended at the end of the season to play somewhere because physically I was feeling great. But mentally I feel I’ve done all I can do. I’ve squeezed as much as I can out of it. I’m 36, I’m healthy, have a young family.

“The only reason I would have stayed playing was if there was somewhere really nice to bring Joanna and our 10-month-old son Alfie to live for the year. I spoke to a lot of clubs and there were offers but none of them suited what we were after.

“For example there was one to play in Japan. Everyone seems to think Japan is this great money-making place. The money was fine but I just thought it wouldn’t be fair or right for Joanna and Alfie to be stuck in some apartment in Tokyo away from family while I’m away travelling with the team.

“I had a really long career. We can stop now and move onto the next chapter.” 

The Limerick native and his family will be relocating to Joanna’s hometown of Derry in the coming months while he’s also signed up to do some media work for both the autumn internationals and Six Nations championship.

*Conor Murray will be signing copies of his book ‘Cloud Nine’, written with Tommy Conlon and published by Reach Sport, this Saturday at 1pm in O’Mahony’s Bookstore, O’Connell Street, Limerick.