ONLY three weeks into a season which has already seen mixed results and significant off-field uncertainty, Munster’s young players have supplied some much-needed positivity.
In their opening United Rugby Championship (URC) fixture against Glasgow in Thomond Park, Munster showed plenty of signs of progress; particularly in attack, the influence of attack coach Jared Payne seems to be making a marked difference. All the same, a disappointing second-half showing saw Munster sink to a 26-20 defeat, a deflating result to start the season. Nonetheless, much of the post-match reaction centred around the performance of twenty-one-year-old scrum-half Ben O’Donovan, making his first Munster start, who stood out on the day.
A week later, it was twenty-year-old Charlie O’Shea who stole the headlines in a 26-22 victory over the Bulls in Limerick. The Cork out-half notched a brace of tries and an assist, converting three of his four kick attempts, inspiring his team to a gutsy win. O’Shea’s performance was a real lift to Munster, just a couple of days after chief executive Ian Flanagan announced he would be stepping down.
Another second half meltdown cost Munster against Ulster in Round Three; the 26-26 draw a real disappointment after leading 26-5 at half-time. Another frustrating result, but the URC debuts of the highly regarded Michael Foy (20) and Garryowen’s Max Clein (23) was a highlight. Evan O’Connell, Brian Gleeson and Ben O’Connor (all 22) featured heavily, continuing strong starts to the campaign.
Munster face a run of difficult fixtures over the next few weeks, with games against Bristol Bears, Sharks and Leinster (twice) all before the end of the year, not to mention an Investec Champions Cup opener against Racing 92 this Saturday.
With the playing squad stretched by injuries and the departures of key players like Jean Kleyn and Thaakir Abrahams, Munster have no choice but to lean on youth. A rebuilding season usually means a slump in results, but perhaps performances like O’Shea’s show that the two don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Supporters are already clamouring for him to start against Racing this Saturday, in Munster’s biggest test so far this season.