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Rowntree: Why the England gang of 2015 have 'prospered' in Ireland
New Munster head coach Graham Rowntree has spoken about how the failed 2015 England coaching ticket is now a success in various roles in Ireland. Following the pool stage elimination from the World Cup seven years ago, head coach Stuart Lancaster and his three assistants – Rowntree, Andy Farrell and Mike Catt – were all released by the RFU to accommodate the new broom under Eddie Jones. The changeover left the ousted four coaches seeking out work elsewhere and the irony now is that all four are working in Ireland in jobs they are highly respected for.
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Having arrived at Munster as forwards coach in 2020, Rowntree will soon be promoted to head coach on a two-year deal in place of the Bath-bound Johann van Graan. Lancaster, meanwhile, has been a serial trophy-winner in his position as a senior Leinster coach since September 2016, Andy Farrell succeeded Joe Schmidt as Ireland head coach in 2019 having initially worked as his defence coach since 2016, while Farrell recruited Catt as Ireland’s attack coach in 2020 from Italy.
Given the success now being enjoyed by all four coaches in the Irish game, it would be understandable if there was some level of recrimination over them getting forced out by the RFU following the 2015 England World Cup disappointment, but Rowntree was nothing but magnanimous looking back on what happened seven years ago and what has since transpired.
“That was a long time ago, we have all moved on, doing different things and since we have moved on England are doing well, they have been in a World Cup final, let’s not deny that,” said Rowntree, the new incoming Munster boss, during a guest appearance on this week’s edition of The Rugby Pod.
“We move on, all we can deal with is what is presented to you. I love life over here (in Limerick), I love the club I work with, the guys I am working with and I am very fortunate that from July 1 I am leading it. I can’t wait for it.
Camels passing in the night and Graham O’Wig Rowntree ?
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“It doesn’t define you,” he added about his England failure. “You drive on to the next role. It’s a business. Professional sport, rugby, it’s a business and what we achieved in 2015 is well recorded. It wasn’t good enough and what happened happened and we all drive on and we’re finding ourselves where we are now. All you can deal with is what is in front of you now. You learn a lot and nationally England have prospered under Eddie. Myself and the other guys, we have prospered in what we are doing so we are just marching forward.
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“I have signed a two-year deal, you don’t get much more than that these days and that is fair enough. It’s a business. I’m happy doing what I am doing now for at least the next two years.”
Rowntree added that the Munster player recruitment for next season is already over, Malakai Fekitoa being their headline signing in place of Damian de Allende, but he is moving quickly to finalise his backroom staff. “There is nothing more to be done recruitment wise. I am happy with where we are at. We have got a great squad, we have got a lot of good lads coming through. Right about now there is a load of lads pushing through.
“The guys within the organisation, certainly the players, know my style, what I want to do. The guys I want to bring in (as assistant coaches) are fairly similar to me. I need to get that nailed over the next couple of weeks and within a few days of pre-season they will know what we are doing, how I want to change things.”
Munster progressed to the Heineken Champions Cup quarter-finals with their win last Saturday over Exeter at Thomond Park and Rowntree had the height of respect for the challenge posed by the Chiefs. “They are a proper team. I didn’t know until we played Exeter pre-season there is such respect between the two clubs, real respect because of previous European games.
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“As a forwards coach, their scrum and their maul are a handful, they’re a bloody handful and our defensive breakdown was pretty special on Saturday. They are a proper team to play against.”
Comments on RugbyPass
I really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
1 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
56 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to comments