Munster open there 2024 season with a game against Connacht on Saturday evening with a 5.30pm kick off in Thomond Park. Munster will look to go one better than last year in the URC after finishing in first spot on the final league table, they were defeated by eventual winners Glasgow in the semi-finals who will open there own campaign away to Ulster.
Munster have lost players like Simon Zebo, Joey Carbery and RG Snyman, Zebo has retired with Carbery moving to Bordeaux and RG Snyman has moved to Leinster for 1 season at least. Munster have recruited well on paper with Diarmuid Kilgallon, Billy Burns and Thakkir Abrahams have been brought in with Jean Klyen looking like he will be fit for week 1 of the new season.
Munster will have to deal with the Emerging Ireland tour of South Africa like 2 years ago along with the other provinces and that will provide a challenge in the early weeks of the season. Some will ask is that tour devaluing the URC as some promising young talent will be away from league action for a number of weeks. The IRFU has communicated already with the provinces as to who may be away with Emerging Ireland.
This tour as beneficial as it may seem doesn’t make sense, why didn’t an Ireland A side go to South Africa in July alongside the senior side and then they would be no pull on resources like there will be at a time when the URC is only getting up and running.
I know we will be told that it will give young players meaningful game time but unlike 2022, rugby has regathered itself and although it still its issues, I think this tour is unnecessary at this point and will have an impact on the early weeks of the URC campaign.
Back to Munster, they will look to improve on two losses in pre-season away to Bath and at home to Gloucester in Cork two weeks ago. Plenty of players saw game time in those games and supporters got a glimpse of the players that will play for the opening 4 rounds of the URC as the Irish internationals will be eased back into action.
Munster benefitted from that a few years back and then when the internationals got back, they were up and firing. Graham Rowntree will hope for a similar reaction to begin the 24/25 season. Mike Prendergast will hope to bring on the Munster attack this year and advance it on. Denis Leamy will want to do likewise in defence.
Munster can’t stand still this year, in Europe also they will want to improve on last year’s showing with Saracens and Stade Francais coming to Limerick as well as trips to Castres and Northampton Saints.
A new captain will be confirmed with a number of players in the running like Tadgh Beirne and Diarmuid Barron. A small bit of housekeeping needs to be sorted before Saturday’s kick off vs Connacht.
Munster will have expectations and targets for the new season, let’s hope guys like Tom Ahern, Jean Kleyn, Edwin Edogbo can go through the year injury free because they make a difference to the overall Munster squad when fully fit…
I’ll select the XV I’d like to see injury permitting of course face Connacht.
15 Mike Haley
14 Shane Daly
13 Tom Farrell
12 Sean O Brien
11 Thakkir Abrahams
10 Billy Burns
9 Ethan Coughlan
8 Jack O Donghue
7 John Hodnett
6 Sean Edogbo
5 Jean Kleyn
4 Tom Ahern
3 John Ryan
2 Diarmuid Barron
1 Mark Donnelly
–
16 Danny Sheahan
17 Ronan Fox
18 Stephen Archer
19 Alex Kendellan
20 Gavin Coombes
21 Jack Oliver
22 Tony Butler
23 Diarmuid Kilgallon