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'That's special': Graham Rowntree confirmed as new Munster boss

(Photo by Harry Murphy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Graham Rowntree will officially become the new Munster head coach from July 1 on a two-year deal, the ex-England and Lions front-rower securing a promotion from his current role as forwards coach when Johann van Graan leaves to take over Bath. It was 2019 when the ex-prop moved to Limerick following the completion of his World Cup duties with Georgia.

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Now in his third year in Ireland, the 2015 England World Cup assistant said: “I have made my thoughts about this club widely known throughout my time so far. For me and my family, it really has been an easy decision, a non-decision if truth be told. We have put down roots here and have no desire to move anywhere else.

“I’m hugely honoured to be taking over the role of head coach for a club of this calibre, one that means so much to me and my family. We have thoroughly enjoyed every moment here and I fortunately get to work with an incredible group of staff and players who share a common goal each day in striving for success for this club.

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Mike Brown | Rugby Roots

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Mike Brown | Rugby Roots

I have talked about our fantastic supporters before and again at the weekend we stepped off the bus to a huge red welcome in Exeter. Who doesn’t want to be part of that, that’s special.

“I believe we have the established structures in place with the resources and facilities to match and that it will be a smooth transition for the coaching ticket we assemble in ensuring continued development and success for this club. Before then I have a role to complete this season and working closely with Johann, Steve (Larkham), and JP (Ferreira) is the immediate focus and priority for now.”

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The Munster statement confirming the promotion of Rowntree to head coach read: “With an impressive coaching CV and vast experience, Rowntree previously held coaching roles with the British and Irish Lions, England, Harlequins and Leicester Tigers. Working closely with the IRFU, the province will advance with the next steps in securing the backroom team that will work with Graham from next season as head coach Johann van Graan, senior coach Stephen Larkham and defence coach JP Ferreira depart the province at the end of June.”

IRFU performance director, David Nucifora added: “I would like to thank the Munster professional game committee for their work and diligence during this process. It is important that Munster have someone who understands the unique history and culture of the club and has the experience to maximise the talent in the squad. Graham was very impressive throughout this process and demonstrated he has the capabilities to spearhead the next chapter of Munster.”

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Ian Flanagan, the Munster CEO, said: “Graham’s extensive coaching experience and knowledge of the game makes him the perfect candidate to lead this squad forward. With Graham stepping up at the start of the new season it will be a seamless and natural progression from the work that has been carried out to date.

“For now, we will continue our focus on the remainder of this season with Graham supporting Johann and the coaching staff in achieving our goals.”

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J
JW 1 hour ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

I rated Lowe well enough to be an AB. Remember we were picking the likes of George Bridge above such players so theres no disputing a lot of bad decisions have been made by those last two coaches. Does a team like the ABs need a finicky winger who you have to adapt and change a lot of your style with to get benefit from? No, not really. But he still would have been a basic improvement on players like even Savea at the tail of his career, Bridge, and could even have converted into the answer of replacing Beauden at the back. Instead we persisted with NMS, Naholo, Havili, Reece, all players we would have cared even less about losing and all because Rieko had Lowe's number 11 jersey nailed down.


He was of course only 23 when he decided to leave, it was back in the beggining of the period they had started retaining players (from 2018 onwards I think, they came out saying theyre going to be more aggressive at some point). So he might, all of them, only just missed out.


The main point that Ed made is that situations like Lowe's, Aki's, JGP's, aren't going to happen in future. That's a bit of a "NZ" only problem, because those players need to reach such a high standard to be chosen by the All Blacks, were as a country like Ireland wants them a lot earlier like that. This is basically the 'ready in 3 years' concept Ireland relied on, versus the '5 years and they've left' concept' were that player is now ready to be chosen by the All Blacks (given a contract to play Super, ala SBW, and hopefully Manu).


The 'mercenary' thing that will take longer to expire, and which I was referring to, is the grandparents rule. The new kids coming through now aren't going to have as many gp born overseas, so the amount of players that can leave with a prospect of International rugby offer are going to drop dramatically at some point. All these kiwi fellas playing for a PI, is going to stop sadly.


The new era problem that will replace those old concerns is now French and Japanese clubs (doing the same as NRL teams have done for decades by) picking kids out of school. The problem here is not so much a national identity one, than it is a farm system where 9 in 10 players are left with nothing. A stunted education and no support in a foreign country (well they'll get kicked out of those countries were they don't in Australia).


It's the same sort of situation were NZ would be the big guy, but there weren't many downsides with it. The only one I can think was brought up but a poster on this site, I can't recall who it was, but he seemed to know a lot of kids coming from the Islands weren't really given the capability to fly back home during school xms holidays etc. That is probably something that should be fixed by the union. Otherwise getting someone like Fakatava over here for his last year of school definitely results in NZ being able to pick the cherries off the top but it also allows that player to develop and be able to represent Tonga and under age and possibly even later in his career. Where as a kid being taken from NZ is arguably going to be worse off in every respect other than perhaps money. Not going to develop as a person, not going to develop as a player as much, so I have a lotof sympathy for NZs case that I don't include them in that group but I certainly see where you're coming from and it encourages other countries to think they can do the same while not realising they're making a much worse experience/situation.

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