Munster confirm the eight players who are leaving at the end of the season
Munster have confirmed that Duncan Williams, Mike Sherry, Dave O’Callaghan and James Hart will depart the province at the end of the season. With Ian Keatley, Stephen Fitzgerald and Jaco Taute already confirmed for moves to respective PRO14 and Premiership clubs, Dave O’Callaghan and James Hart will play their club rugby in France next season.
Scrum-half Williams comes to the end of an 11-year career with the province during which time he made 163 appearances and scored seven tries. The 33-year-old played a lead role in Munster’s historic wins over Australia and the Maori All Blacks in Thomond Park, and enjoyed Magners League success in 2011. His durability was highlighted during the 2016/17 season when he featured in 31 of 33 match-day squads.
Sherry, who joined Gloucester on a loan-deal in March, made his Munster debut in 2009 and scored 12 tries in 108 appearances for the province. The hooker enjoyed Magners League success and featured in Munster’s historic win over Australia during the 2010/11 season.
An Ireland debut followed in the summer of 2013 as he followed in his father Mick’s footsteps in becoming an international. He battled back from injury to captain the province when making his 100th Munster appearance against Ulster in April 2018.
A product of the Munster system, O’Callaghan made his Munster debut as a 21-year-old against Ospreys in October 2011. The 2011/12 campaign was a real breakthrough year as he also made his Champions Cup bow and was awarded academy player of the year.
Player News | Duncan Williams, Mike Sherry, Dave O'Callaghan & James Hart will finish up with the province at the end of the season.
A huge thanks to all for their contribution in red ??, & here's to finishing out the season on a high ?? #SUAF
More >> https://t.co/VDRtjCxOVH pic.twitter.com/eD3n99cZNn
— Munster Rugby (@Munsterrugby) May 3, 2019
After establishing himself as a key member of the squad in the following seasons, O’Callaghan scored his first Munster try on his 32nd appearance against Leinster in 2014. The 29-year-old has gone on to score five tries in 85 appearances.
Hart spent two seasons at Munster and scored two tries in 16 appearances. The 28-year-old scrum-half also made six appearances for Munster A in the British & Irish Cup and the Celtic Cup.
With Ronan O’Mahony confirming his retirement from professional rugby in April, it brings the total to eight players departing the province at the end of the season. The players will be recognised on the big screen during half-time at Munster’s Guinness PRO14 quarter-final against Benetton in Thomond Park on Saturday.
WATCH: Conor Murray’s interview with RugbyPass
Comments on RugbyPass
Can we talk about the context of how this particular journalist continues to make a living and gets published? Controversy for clicks. Shame on all of us for engaging with these irrelevant opinions.
57 Go to commentsAn astounding article !
57 Go to commentsFrance didn’t lose against New Zeland in 2011, but against Joubert…
57 Go to commentsHahahaha knew the “journalist” just by seeing the headline. Not wasting my time reading it as I know it's just another toxic manifestation of the boks living rent free in this babies head.
57 Go to commentsWhen you read those facts, you can say safely that the game was handed to the Springboks by the ruling mistakes made by the Referee and TMO. Perhaps that is why South Africans were/are so “noisey” about the win….this behaviour perhaps concealing that they realise luck played a big part in the result. Certainly not a good look for the IRB going forward…pretty shoddy sadly.
57 Go to commentsI must admit to being quite surprised by all the wine-ing and hand wringing from most AB pundits; commentators and the general analysis after a classic and engrossing final. I shudder to think how the pundits would’ve reacted if the AB’s where victors with 1 point on the day.. Most Bok fans pundits; fans and commentators take a loss on the chin; congratulate the winner and move on…and till now the NZ rugby fans where the same.. Naas Botha’s famous quote has never been more apt…. Cowboys don’t cry or make excuses.. STOP IT CRY-BABIES; …..YOU LOST.
57 Go to comments4 out of 8 beats 3 out of 10 cups. Maybe NZ are bad finishers???🤣🤣🤣
57 Go to commentsBokke bokke Bokke
1 Go to commentsThe main thing you need on your side to win a World Cup is luck. ABs had their fair share of it in the 2011 final. One score game in the SF vs Springboks in 2015 means there always things you can look at and say if this thing or that thing happened then SA would/should have won that game. Smith’s try being called back broke protocol, but it was the correct decision, so I don’t have a problem with that. If it was an SA try called back in the same circumstances I don’t think many ABS fans would have a problem with it. Cane’s shot was high, it was the classic thing NZ players have been doing, and getting carded for for years - Walking around bolt upright trying to put a big hit on someone. Stupid play by someone with a poor disciplinary record. The one that was a big problem for me was Etzebeth’s obstruction. The referee just choked on this occasion. Frustrating to have the TMO in his ear all night, apart from at this moment. Minimum yellow card for Etzebeth, but a very strong case for a penalty try also. Despite all that the ABs had the opportunity to be ahead with 3 minutes to play, so it’s hard to point fingers too much. Pollard makes that kick 99/100. JB and RM make it 50/100. That’s what it came down to in the end.
57 Go to commentsBOKS had a great side in 2011 and were in kicked out by a NZ ref and Nz were very lucky to win in final against France.
57 Go to commentsBarrett's try came from a forward pass, and perhaps the Bok game plan would have been different had the ABs remained with 15 on the pitch. We will never know. But if we are living in a world if what if's, then go back to the France v Bok game. France dominated the WC, and had they gotten past the boks, would have easily beaten the ABs in the Final
57 Go to commentsRehashed articles. But this piece does not do justice to how good the Boks had to be to win that tournament, and how immense some of their players were in that final. Peter Stef du Toit played one of the greatest games by a loose forward ever. All Blacks played well but not well enough and came up short. There are a million ‘if’s’ and none of the ‘if’s’ that don’t happen will win you a footy match.
57 Go to commentsSour grapes/ face it the allblacks aren't that good anymore LoL!!!
57 Go to commentsDear Internet, This is what sour grapes look like… It wont make any difference in down playing the SA win. The scoreboard is the ultimate statistic. I agree with Johnz, I would have liked a full 15vs15 for the whole game. Could have been even better or worse. What we as rugby supporters got, was a fantastic game where the result could have gone either way. It was great.
57 Go to commentsben loser smith. I haven't read the article. Just saw the headline and knew it was him. Rugbypass surely you can do better than this clickbate loser.
57 Go to commentsIf if if….If my aunt had balls she would be my uncle
57 Go to commentsBen is right, the RWC should be taken from SA and awarded to NZ. Rugby matches from now on will not be decided on points but rather on who deserved to win the most. This will be decided by 1 journalist sitting in a bunker.
57 Go to commentsThat's quite a wind up Ben. I'm an all black fan, and admittedly the loss felt a little hollow, given how well the boys played once Cane left the field. But that's finals footy, sometimes it's cruel. Let's look at the reality though. This was a team that spent an entire year thinking about how to beat Ireland, and did so magnificently. Come final time, they started the match looking overawed, fearful and unprepared. This led them to getting behind on the scoreboard, and chasing the game, which is never a good position to be in a final. SA started better, were confident and assured. That, in the end, was the game. The comeback led by Savea was phenomenal, but not quite enough. That's how comebacks often go. The real questions should be why they looked so unprepared? Why we needed to get behind and lose our so called leader to start playing? And why the best player against SA from a month or two before wasn't even in the team? Plus give some credit where it's due, PSD was quite phenomenal and instrumental in keeping SA ahead, a performance for the ages.
57 Go to commentsMy only response is “Check the Scoreboard” nothing else matters. Ben you will not wind me up pal. Boks are 4 times RWC Champions.
57 Go to commentsThere is no place to hide in the front row. You win or lose each time and it selects for hard men/women and those who enjoy combat
7 Go to comments