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Munster have signed another Leinster player aswell as locking in 5 others
Munster Rugby and the IRFU have confirmed Chris Cloete, James Cronin, Neil Cronin, Chris Farrell and Tommy O’Donnell have all signed contract extensions, while scrum-half Nick McCarthy is set to join the province.
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Additionally Greencore Munster Academy players Gavin Coombes and Shane Daly will join the senior ranks next season.
Chris Farrell, who joined the province at the beginning of the 2017/18 season, has put pen to paper on a three-year deal that will see him remain with the province until 2022, while Chris Cloete has added two years onto his current three-year deal bringing him up to 2022 also.
Tommy O’Donnell, James Cronin and Neil Cronin have all signed two-year contract extensions until June 2021.
Scrum-half Nick McCarthy will make the move from Leinster at the start of the 2019/20 season after signing a two-year deal. The 23-year-old has made 30 appearances in blue to date, scoring 3 tries. A former Ireland U20s player he made 18 appearances over two 6 Nations and World Championship campaigns.
Farrell, who has yet to feature this season as he rehabs a knee injury sustained in February, has made 13 appearances for the province, scoring three tries. The 25-year-old centre has represented Ireland on three occasions, including a man of the match performance on his 6 Nations debut against Wales.
In his 12th season with the province, and one of the squad’s leading lights, O’Donnell has made 162 appearances in red, scoring 19 tries. A former Academy Player of the Year and Player of the Year he led Munster to victory in their historic win over the Maori All Blacks in November 2016. The 31-year-old back-row has represented Ireland on 12 occasions, scoring two tries.
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On making his debut in April 2013, prop James Cronin went on to be awarded Academy Player of the Year a month later. The 27-year-old has scored 14 tries across his 108 Munster caps, and has made three appearances for Ireland. In November 2017 he represented the Barbarians against Tonga in Thomond Park.
Scrum-half Neil Cronin made his return to professional rugby at the start of the season off the back of impressive performances with his club side Garryowen FC in the All Ireland League. The 25-year-old will have to put the teaching career on further hold as he continues with the province until 2021. On making seven appearances in red he made his Champions Cup debut against Exeter Chiefs last weekend.
Making his debut against Dragons in November ’17, South African back row Cloete made quite an impression in his first season, scoring three tries in his 10 starts. The 27-year-old has made 14 appearances for the province.
On the Academy front Coombes and Daly, who are both in their final year of the programme, have secured promotion to the senior squad at the beginning of the 2019/20 season having signed two-year contracts.
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20-year-old Coombes is a product of Skibbereen RFC and Bandon Grammar and made his Munster debut against the Cheetahs in last month’s season opener. The no.8 has scored six tries in 16 appearances for Munster A, and plays with Young Munster in the All Ireland League. An Interpro winner with Munster at U18 Schools and U19 level, Coombes has represented Ireland U19s and U20s.
A product of Highfield RFC, Presentation Brothers College and Cork Constitution FC, 21-year-old Shane Daly also made his senior Munster debut against the Cheetahs last month. An Ireland 7s and U20s international, Daly won the All Ireland League Division 1A title, the Bank of Ireland Munster Senior Challenge Cup and the Bateman Cup with Con in 2017. Adept at playing as a centre or on the wing, Daly won an Interpro title with the Munster U20s in 2015.
Comments on RugbyPass
I remember towards the end of the original broadcasting deal for Super rugby with Newscorp that there was talk about the competition expanding to improve negotiations for more money - more content, more cash. Professional rugby was still in its infancy then and I held an opposing view that if Super rugby was a truly valuable competition then it should attract more broadcasters to bid for the rights, thereby increasing the value without needing to add more teams and games. Unfortunately since the game turned professional, the tension between club, talent and country has only grown further. I would argue we’re already at a point in time where the present is the future. The only international competitions that matter are 6N, RC and RWC. The inter-hemisphere tours are only developmental for those competitions. The games that increasingly matter more to fans, sponsors and broadcasters are between the clubs. Particularly for European fans, there are multiple competitions to follow your teams fortunes every week. SA is not Europe but competes in a single continental competition, so the travel component will always be an impediment. It was worse in the bloated days of Super rugby when teams traversed between four continents - Africa, America, Asia and Australia. The percentage of players who represent their country is less than 5% of the professional player base, so the sense of sacrifice isn’t as strong a motivation for the rest who are more focused on playing professional rugby and earning as much from their body as they can. Rugby like cricket created the conundrum it’s constantly fighting a losing battle with.
3 Go to commentsOh wow… “But as La Rochelle proved in winning in Cape Town this season, a cross-continental away assignment need not spell the end of days.” La Rochelle actually proved quite the opposite. After traveling to Cape town and back they (back-to-back and current champs) got mercilessly thumped the next week. If travel is not the reason, why else would a full-strength powerhouse like La Rochelle get dumped on their @r$e$ one week later?
26 Go to commentsYou know he can land a winning conversion after the full time siren is up. (Even if it takes two attempts.)
5 Go to commentsA very insightful article from Jake. I would love to know how South African’s feel about their move to Europe. Do you prefer playing in Europe or want to go back to Super Rugby?
3 Go to commentspure fire
1 Go to commentsA very well thought out summary of all the relevant complications…agree with your ”refer the Cricket Test versus 20/20 comparison”. More also definitely doesn't necessarily mean better!
3 Go to commentsMust be something when you are only 19 y.o and both NZ and France want you. Btw he wasn’t the only new caledonian in french U20 as Robin Couly also lived in Noumea until 17. Hope he’s successful wherever he chooses to play.
8 Go to comments“Several key players in the Stade Rochelais squad are in their thirties” South Africans are going to hate the implications of that comment!
5 Go to commentsI know Leinster did a job on La Roche but shortly after HT Leinster were 30-13 ahead of them and at a similar time Toulouse were trailing Exeter. At 60 mins Leinster were 27 ahead but after 67 mins Toulouse were only 19 ahead before Exeter collapsed. That’s heavier scoring by Leinster against the Champions. I think people are looking at Toulouses total a little too much. I also think Northhampton are in with a real chance, albeit I’d put Leinster as favourites. If Leinster make the final I expect them to win by more than ten and with control.
5 Go to commentsHey Nick, your match analysis is decent but the top and tail not so much, a bit more random. For a start there’s a seismic difference in regenerating any club side over a test team. EJ pretty much had to urinate with the appendage he’d been given at test level whereas club success is impacted hugely by the budget. Look no further than Boudjellal’s Toulon project for a perfect example. The set ups at La Rochelle and Leinster are like chalk and cheese and you are correct that Leinster are ahead. Leinster are not just slightly ahead though, they are light years ahead on their plans, with the next gen champions cup team already blooded, seasoned and developing at speed from their time manning the fort in the URC while the cream play CC and tests. They have engineered a strong talent conveyor belt into their system, supported by private money funnelled into a couple of Leinster private schools. The really smart move from Leinster and the IRFU however is maximising the Irish Revenue tax breaks (tax relief on the best 10 years earnings refunded at retirement) to help keep all of their stars in Ireland and happy, while simultaneously funding marquee players consistently. And of course Barrett is the latest example. But in no way is he a “replacement for Henshaw”, he’s only there for one season!!! As for Rob Baxter, the best advice you can give him is to start lobbying Parliament and HMRC for a similar state subsidy, but don’t hold your breath… One thing Cullen has been very smart with is his coaching team. Very quickly he realised his need to supplement his skills, there was talk of him exiting after his first couple of years but he was extremely shrewd bringing in Lancaster and now Nienaber. That has worked superbly and added a layer that really has made a tangible difference. Apart from that you were bang on the money… 😉😂
5 Go to commentsNot sure exactly what went wrong for him at Glasgow but it’s pretty clear he ain’t Franco’s cup of tea. Suspect he would have been better served heading out of Scotland around the same time as Finn, Hoggy and Jonny!
1 Go to commentsBulls disrespected the Northampton supporters and the competition. Decide quickly, fully in or out.
26 Go to commentsI wonder if Parling was ever on England’s radar as a coach? Obviously Borthwick is a great lineout coach, but I do worry he might be taking on too much as both head coach and forwards coach.
1 Go to commentsJason Jenkins has one cap. When Etzebeth was his age he had over 80 caps. Experience matters. He will never amount to what Etzebeth has because he hasn’t been developed as an international player.
2 Go to commentsSays much about the player picking this gig over the easier and bigger rewards offered to him in Japan. Also says a lot about the state sanctioned tax benefits the Irish Revenue offers pro rugby players, with their ten highest earning years subject to an additional 40% tax relief and paid as a lump sum, in cash, at retirement. Certainly helps Leinster line up the financial ducks in a row to fund marquee signings like this!!! No other union anywhere in world rugby benefits from this kind of lucrative financial sponsorship from their government…
5 Go to commentsTrue Jordie could earn a lot more in Japan. But by choosing Leinster he’ll be playing with 1 of the best clubs in the world and can win a champions cup and URC…..
6 Go to commentsThanks for that Marshy, noticed you didn't say who is gonna win it. We know who ain't gonna win it - your Crusaders outfit. They've gone from having arguably the best Super Rugby first five ever, to having a clutch of rookies. Hurricanes all the way!
1 Go to commentsGeez you really have to question the NRLs ability to produce players of quality. Its pathetic. Dont the 25mil in Aus produce enough quality womens players. Sad.
1 Go to commentsBulls fan here, and agree 100% with the conclusion (and little else) of this article. SA sides should absolutely f-off from the champs cup until we get fair scheduling, equal support for travel arrangements and home semis. You know, like all the european teams get.
26 Go to commentsI’m yet to see why Grace would be an ABs contender. He’s pedestrian and lacks the dominance required of a top flight 8.
11 Go to comments