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'Are you saying that he's not in communication with Stuart Hooper?'
Brian O’Driscoll has questioned if outgoing Munster head coach Johann van Graan’s continuation at the province until the end of the season is viable.
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Van Graan is heading to troubled Gallagher Premiership side Bath, a side which have won just a single game this season and who – at least according to O’Driscoll – are playing ‘absolute muck’.
The South African masterminded a precious win on the road against Castres in France on Friday night, but calls for his early departure from Limerick have become a familiar refrain in recent weeks.
Ireland’s most capped player suggests that Van Graan’s position might be untenable. O’Driscoll and the Leinster team of 2005 experienced a parallel situation, with Declan Kidney leaving Dublin to return to his beloved Munster.
On that occasion, Leinster bid Kidney farewell before the end of the season.
“We’ve been in similar situation with Leinster in ’05. It was even worse then. Declan Kidney left us to go back to Munster,” O’Driscoll told the Off the Ball show on Newstalk.
“We had to cut him and bring in a replacement. Someone to hold the reins for the three or four month period toward the end of the season, because when he’s going to one of your adversaries, the element of trust is completely broken.
“I think there is an element of that with Van Graan. The relationship is a bit broken.”
“He talks about being totally committed to the Munster cause for the remainder of the season. I don’t know how he can actually be 100 oer cent committed.
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“Are you saying that he’s not in communication with Stuart Hooper and Bruce Craig over in Bath around the recruitment of new players and how they are going to do things?
“The big part of coaching isn’t just coaching the season that you are involved in. It is future proofing other years.
“He has got to hit the ground running as well.”
O’Driscoll pointed out that lines of communication and Van Graan’s involvement with recruitment for his new club mean he simply can’t be fully committed to Munster.
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“He is going into a good situation over there,” noted O’Driscoll. “They are playing absolute muck this year. They have won their first game of 12 last weekend scraping by with a penalty against the other worst team in the league.
“He is trying to tell everyone that he is fully committed. He might be fully committed when he’s in Munster camp, but you can be sure when he’s at home he’s having conversations around his new gig.
“That is ultimately going to be a major priority of his over this four or five month period. [He will be] making sure that his new bosses are happy and they are in a position where they can grow immediately upon his arrival.”
The former British & Irish Lions centre isn’t the only player to take a pop at the South African, who has also come under the heavy fire in recent weeks from Ronan O’Gara, Keith Wood and Peter Stringer.
O’Gara tore shreds off Munster in his most recent Irish Examiner column. “It was like watching rugby from a bygone era,” the Corkman sI respect every coaching philosophy and if that is the vision of Munster’s management, you admire it to a point, but it must be pretty restrictive to play that kind of way. Munster’s South African ethos is summed up thus: Maul. Box Kick. Aerial Contest. Play if you win it, defend if you don’t…”
Certainly, the pressure is mounting on Van Graan and by definition Munster, over his future at the club.
Comments on RugbyPass
Why do people keep on picking Ardie at 7 when he's a ball in hand 8? A modern 7 is the lead tackler and ruck clearer which isn't his strength.
14 Go to commentsSly dig there at Ireland’s propensity to back a non-Irish coach. Must really want it. I’m not sure I like ROG very much. Comes off as unpleasant. But he’d gain my respect if he took a number 7 ranked team and turned them into WC winners. Not even back-to-back. Argentina? Scotland? Or how about Wales? France would be too easy, no?
1 Go to commentsA bit of sensationalism, but surprised by the comments about SBW. I’ve always thought of him as a pretty authentic person. There is nothing worse than working with a colleague you’ve seen straight through.
9 Go to comments100% agree with your comment about Touch. I’ve been playing it competitively since Covid. It’s on a Wednesday night after work. It means the weekend is free for time with my family.
1 Go to commentsRodda back is massively important for the Wallabies. Kaitu at hooker important too coz he was very good a few years ago.
1 Go to commentsThe pink cabous might be eligible this year and the Boks don’t need him
7 Go to commentsNasser and kaitu are options for hooker. Especially Nasser. You forgot Rodda who touch wood will be fit at test time and if fit he’s number one. Great partner for the great Skelton and Oz best lineout caller. Third best lock is LSL whom I’d be inclined to sub on for Skelton around 60 minutes. Probably start valetini at 8 because I like a big body back there. Cale should play 6 at the brumbies. For Wallabies definitely cale in the squad but as an apprentice. Dunno who starts at 6 seru wright Swinton hanigan with Will Harris and Harry Wilson not far away. Seru and Swinton my front runners but Swinton is going. Still if we don’t cap seru then Fiji must coz they need his lineout skills and easily compensate for his lack of weight
7 Go to commentsYeah but who was it?
9 Go to commentsThink you might have written this just before the Brumbies got thrashed last weekend
7 Go to commentsI really do believe that Billy Proctor should be selected at least in the larger squad but also it would be my choice at 13, much more a center than Ioane who can still play at wing. Roigard if fit should play, otherwise it should be Perenara or Christie. Also, Iose could deserve a spot at blindside. Of course, being a Canes supporter I’m biased but I really believe that at least Billy P is deserving a chance and being Holland one of the Selectors, I’m having a little hope he could grab it.
14 Go to commentsI would not play Swinton I’d pick Wright or Hanigan. The rest are decent starters, but can’t agree on any subs except Tupou. My take on the subs: Gibbon, Ueslese, Tupou, LSL, Wilson, White, Will Harrison, and Petaia.
7 Go to commentsSBW the biggest moron to pull on a black jersey a park footy player at best
9 Go to commentsSBW is fast becoming a laughing stock, his misplaced comments & lack of insight Is actually pretty sad.
9 Go to commentsJust well you guys are couch 🛋 potatoes selector's, picking a team of greenhorns to play England! “What are you people smoking?” The halfbacks will be Christie, Fakatava, Perenara Props; Newell, Bower, Lomax, Tunga'fasi, Hookers; Asosa Amua when fit, Taylor, Samisoni,
14 Go to commentsQuite frankly, all this is a bit pathetic. The first time Wales get the Wooden Spoon in 21 years and everyone is on the bandwagon for a ‘play-off’ game. Wales have no obligation to Georgia and no obligation to the rest of the Six Nations to play such a game. If they want Georgia in so badly then they need to include South Africa into a Northern Hemisphere competition with 2 leagues of 4 teams with the top 2 competing for the Championship. Sadly, this will end Triple Crowns and Grand Slams forever. Is this really what you want?
4 Go to commentsI think Finau to start Blackadder to come on. Poss Prokter instead of Ioane, haven't seen much from Reiko so far this year.
14 Go to commentsJoe will have had a good chat with Dave Rennie, a smart move to begin with while it’s doubtful Fast Eddie will be consulted? Plenty of Aus players hitting top form so they should go OK.
7 Go to commentsMmm. Not sure I like this article or see it as necessary.
9 Go to commentsBlackadder but no Finau! 😀 It’s Razor so you are probably right, plus Taylor at 2…
14 Go to commentsThe strongest possible AB side would actually include Aaron Smith, Bodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock, Leicester Fainga'anuku, Shannon Frizzel.. don’t get me started on the rest of the injury hit brigade that got flung on the heap so left. Many a whole not getting filled as of yet.
14 Go to comments