Munster possess the personnel to win silverware this season, the key is whether Johann van Graan and the coaching group can embolden the players tactically. Selection is fundamental and getting those calls right will define what's attainable.
Watching the manner of their victory over the Stormers at the weekend reinforced the notion that I believe Munster to be genuine contenders for trophies. There are one or two caveats but if they have the courage to pursue a more rounded approach in style and select accordingly to facilitate that goal, then anything is possible.
Munster had an 80 per cent league win rate last season but they lost the two biggest matches of that Pro 14 campaign against Leinster because they hid behind the box-kick and in times of peak pressure just got a little narrow and conservative, exposing an over-reliance on a few players.
There are traces of that good decision-making in the manner in which Coombes operates
At 15-0 down against the Stormers in Limerick last weekend and playing poorly, Van Graan’s side refused to seek refuge in the old ways and instead persevered with a game plan that would eventually bear fruit. It had the whiff of a watershed moment for the group.
There is a nice balance to the current squad that, for me, has been missing since the halcyon days of their European triumphs. It’s a mixture of young players coming of age, others returning from injury and some astute signings.
One area of the team that illustrates that harmonious blend of youth and experience is the backrow. CJ Stander was an outstanding player for Munster and Ireland but his departure has freed space for an arguably more dynamic and athletic trio.
Central to Munster's renaissance at the weekend was the hugely impressive number eight Gavin Coombes. Despite a rickety start his belief never wavered as he continued to get on the ball. The more the game evolved the more he racked up the high-profile and effective involvements.
Coombes generally makes more yardage from fewer carries than his predecessors and is something of a cross between Denis Leamy and Anthony Foley; Axel was the smartest number eight in terms of reading a game and making hugely influential choices in a positive vein for his team.
There are traces of that good decision-making in the manner in which Coombes operates. It's quite an achievement to physically dominate South African players on the gainline but that's exactly what he did and in the process provided scrumhalf Craig Casey with the perfect platform to maintain a high tempo to Munster's patterns once they eventually got to the pitch of the game.
It is one thing carrying possession effectively through heavy human traffic but quite another to have the vision and skillset to get the ball away in the tackle. His offloading is timely, accurate and easy to read for the supporting players. Being able to offload is one thing, knowing why and when to, is completely different altogether. The way he is reading games and his high value moments are off the charts.
When Jack Conan belatedly starts his season following his exploits for the Lions in South Africa he will need to hit his straps immediately because of the peer quality down the M7 motorway. I don’t envy Andy Farrell having to choose when deciding on the composition of Ireland backrows for next month’s three Tests against Japan, New Zealand and Argentina.
Coombes’s influence is intrinsically linked to the power of the tight five and two outstanding athletes that flanked him in the backrow at the weekend. There’s an argument to say that Peter O’Mahony has been outshone by his backrow buddies so far but that’s not necessarily a bad thing because if he’s the one that’s conspicuous then the unit may be a little off kilter.
It’s not as if he hasn’t been prominent. He’s got through his usual work quota at the breakdown and the lineout while also employing his athleticism and offloading in the wide channels.
Hooker Niall Scannell has started the season with a vigour and purpose while his brother Rory offers a classic example of a player who has been handed responsibility by a coach and responded in a positive manner
Jack O’Donoghue is a player for whom I have had a high regard for some time. He’s had to bide his time perhaps more than he should but having been freed from the logjam he’s begun the season in brilliant fashion.
How Van Graan sets up this team to play, the selection calls, managing the younger talent at his disposal will ultimately make or break this team. They have the squad, now the bigger question is do they have the right coaching ticket? The European defeat to Toulouse last year showed a gulf in class on the pitch but I feel there was an experience/age element that was a contributory factor.
Ben Healy and Keynan Knox, now regularly involved in the matchday 23, will be called on to make season-defining contributions. All the pieces are there to complete the jigsaw. The coaching team needs to be able to see that picture clearly and dispassionately when it comes to selection.
There will be game-specific choices in that respect but there will be times when Van Graan and his assistants will have to make tough, nuanced calls. To offer one example, where does Tadhg Beirne fit in? Is it as a secondrow or a backrow? Does RG Snyman, Jean Kleyn, Peter O’Mahony or Jack O’Donoghue stand down?
Munster’s periodic conservatism in those big matches against Leinster and Toulouse proved fatal. They need to throw off the shackles primarily because they have the players to do so. They haven’t played a brand of rugby to win trophies, regardless of the soundbites from O’Mahony year on year.
That type of approach either means the coach is not good enough or does not have faith in the players at his disposal. The opening games this season from a Munster perspective certainly rules out one of these options; Van Graan has the players and now he has to deliver.
As much as Rassie Erasmus has been in the media over the summer for all the wrong reasons, he is a coach who understands what motivates his players and is an arch tactician. He crunched the numbers, identifying a stripped back pressure game to guide South Africa to a World Cup final and then he played an emotional trump card.
That type of performance is only needed in the final, because when you play it, there is no level up from there as England discovered following their semi-final win over the All Blacks. Van Graan has shown that he can lead Munster to the cusp of winning trophies. He now has to cross the threshold to the winner’s circle.
To be successful a coach has to get the best out of his players and make tough decisions to win. Will he continue to support O’Donoghue and what about if Craig Casey brings the energy and dynamism that fuels the team patterns better than the Ireland and Lions scrumhalf Conor Murray?
Every time a coach picks the ‘untested’ in favour of an established player, they are always judged in hindsight. If they go well, it is clear and obvious they are ready but if they don’t, then they are accused of gambling unnecessarily. The major consideration now is Munster’s style of play.
An over-reliance on the box kick was a curse and a stick to beat Munster with last season. This year so far it seems to be used more sparingly under Casey’s direction and it was even deployed as a tempo change high in the Stormers half just after Munster had scored; they looked more composed in making good choices after the interval.
Stephen Larkham may have a bigger footprint in terms of the game plan and that more expansive, higher-tempo strategy must be carried into and through Europe as well as the United Rugby Championship. All teams must embrace the prospect of failure to succeed and that requires courage, belief and a complete buy-in from the players.
Snyman’s reintroduction underlines the huge value he’ll bring, while others like John Hodnett and new signing Jason Jenkins will also stiffen competition once they become available; so too the return of marquee players like Damian de Allende, Chris Farrell and Murray.
Hooker Niall Scannell has started the season with a vigour and purpose while his brother Rory offers a classic example of a player who has been handed responsibility by a coach and responded in a positive manner. If he doesn’t get a fair crack this season then the lure of England or France might be more appealing at some point.
The difference a pack makes for a player like this is pronounced when he is not being asked to chase box kicks or pointlessly run into bigger men to set up phase plays. Rory Scannell’s running, passing and kicking has provided a different dimension in creativity terms. He isn’t going to start every game with De Allende returning but Munster will need a squad to win silverware this season.
This is the strongest, most balanced Munster team I have seen in a number of years with the strength in depth in key positions and the early season form to supplement the work done in pre-season during the summer months.
There are tougher matches ahead but it’s been a promising start. If the lessons that O’Mahony spoke about after every season are to be genuinely observed then the conservative shackles cannot return. Munster need to be faithful to the bold and the brave when it comes to their rugby this season.
