Last season may have ended in disappointment for Munster, summed up in a 17-10 loss to Glasgow Warriors in the United Rugby Championship semi-final in June, but Graham Rowntree is focusing on the future.
As the province prepare to get their 2024/25 URC season under way against Connacht at Thomond Park on September 21st, the Munster head coach has praised the contribution of talent filtering through the academy system.
Rowntree said he is confident in how the academy’s pathway is currently working but added he is keen to see young players taken into the senior ranks at greater pace.
“We’re a big province, we’ve got to get guys through as soon as we can and get them under the senior coaches’ noses as quickly as we can. Then it’s getting the training model where you can bring them in, where they’re exposed to pressure, where they’re training alongside the likes of Peter O’Mahony, etc.”
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Among the youngsters to impress for Munster of late is Seán Edogbo, who was one silver lining from a preseason which included losses to Bath and Gloucester.
The 20-year-old backrow made his senior debut off the bench in the 33-19 defeat to Gloucester on Friday, putting in a strong performance to earn Rowntree’s notice.
“He [Edogbo] gives us something different – power, pace, athleticism, detail around his handling game, little tip passes and sweep passes that he’ll get better at. He’s got a great lineout jump shape and he’s easy to coach.”
He also paid the latter compliment to Edogbo’s older brother, Edwin, who has been sidelined due to injury.
“We’ll hopefully get the two of them on the field soon enough. We’re not expecting Edwin back until November at this stage, but I’m delighted with Seán. He’s a bolt from the blue.”
In addition to Edogbo’s showing, two of Munster’s three try-scorers against Gloucester were current academy stock, Ruadhán Quinn and Jack Oliver, so the signs are good from the junior ranks.
“We have to keep that production line coming through. It’s very well headed up by Ian Costello [Munster’s head of rugby operations] and the net is cast wide to make sure we’re looking at the right lads.”
But the academy system won’t account for all of Munster’s new faces this season with Thaakir Abrahams having recently arrived from French club Lyon. The South African winger put in a top performance on his debut for the club in Cork last week.
“Thaakir Abrahams has had visa issues, he’s only been on deck for a couple of weeks, but he is rapid. He’s a real jack in the box as we saw Friday night. One of the few highlights from Friday night was just how dangerous Abrahams is going to be.”
And what of the recruits from the other provinces? Tom Farrell and Diarmuid Kilgallen, for whom Rowntree said it’s “so far, so good”, and former Ulster fly-half Billy Burns.
“Billy has been outstanding. It was a crossroads for him. I remember speaking to him early in the year when the possibility first reared its head. He’s at a crossroads in his career at 29, coming to a new province. He wants to advance, he’s not giving up on his Ireland dreams certainly.”
Rowntree said Burns was taken on to put it up to Jack Crowley, who took hold of the Ireland number 10 jersey following Johnny Sexton’s retirement, adding: “From day one, he [Burns] has immediately been pulling lads around him. He’s a great communicator, he has moved well, moved quickly. I’ve been delighted with him.”
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