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Mike Prendergast coming home to Munster after nine years in France

By Liam Heagney
(Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Ex-Munster scrum-half Mike Prendergast is to rejoin the Irish club as its new attack coach from Racing 92. The soon-to-be 45-year-old has spent the last nine years in France honing his craft, coaching at a variety of clubs. 

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It was 2013 when he switched from Young Munster in the All-Ireland League to join Bernard Jackman at Grenoble and he has since coached at Oyonnax and Stade Francais before switching to Racing where he has excelled in guiding a backline that features some of the world’s best players, including Finn Russell and Virimi Vakatawa.   

It was last month when Graham Rowntree, the current Munster forwards coach, was appointed as the incoming head coach to succeed Johann van Graan when he leaves for Bath at the end of this season. 

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Rowntree told The Rugby Pod at the time: “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.”

The new head coach was certainly a man of his word as the signature of Prendergast has been swiftly secured. A club statement read: “Munster and the IRFU are pleased to confirm that Mike Prendergast will join the province as attack coach on a three-year contract ahead of the 2022/23 season.

“The former Munster player will join incoming head coach Graham Rowntree’s coaching ticket from July, making the move from Paris where he has held the position of attack and backs coach with Racing 92 since 2019. Prendergast has a wealth of experience coaching at the top level and in addition to Racing 92 he has held assistant coaching roles with Stade Francais, Oyannax Rugby and Grenoble since making the move to France in 2013.

“On completing his professional playing career in 2009 the scrum-half continued playing with his club, Young Munster, while also progressing on the coaching front as he held head coach and director of rugby roles with the Limerick side.

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“On the provincial coaching front, he previously worked closely with academy manager Ian Costello and team manager Niall O’Donovan when overseeing the backline for the Munster A’s that enjoyed British and Irish Cup success in 2012.”

Prendergast described the culture at Racing as similar to what he experienced when he was previously at Munster, telling RugbyPass in the run-up to the 2020 Heineken Champions Cup final: “I have been to different clubs and had good experiences but here it’s something different.

“In terms of environment it reminds me of home Munster-wise, the boys are very friendly with each other, they all work for each other and the foreigners who come in buy into it. We have a good culture here.

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Adrian 1 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

9 Go to comments
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Trevor 4 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
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Bull Shark 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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