Munster Rugby – An Open Letter
After the last few weeks and the three defeats on the spin I though it important to write an open impassioned open letter to the Munster squad and management. I have been a long-time supporter of Munster since the age of 8. The team has given me some of the best days of my life and the team means so much to me I just felt that I needed to pen this letter.
After the league win 2011 under Tony Mc Gahan I never thought that the glory days would be few a far between after that day. Since then there has been another Pro 12 Final appearance and also a few Semi Finals in Europe and also some glorious away days in Europe like Harlequins in 2013 and the magnificent day in Limerick against Toulouse when they put 50 points on the 4 time winners. They are special days and I really want those days back again.
I realise that the team has changed and will continue to change over the next few season’s but that Red Jersey is still the same one that it was in 78 , 92 , 06 ,08 and 2010 when some of the greatest days happened like beating New Zealand , Australia twice and winning two European Cups.
Anthony Foley has tried to get back to the old days of back to basics rugby and that worked on certain occasions and he has tried to come up with solutions to dilemmas that have cropped up since he took over from Penney, like putting a centre combination in place that will get the team going forward , ala the days of Holland , Mullins , Mafi , Tipoki and even Downey and Laulala yeah remember them , they were three centre combinations that always succeeded in getting Munster over the gain line. Since the latter pairing of Downey and Laulala left Munster have struggled to find the right combination with a number of pairings tried not all really having the desired effect. Hurley and Saili was the latest incarnation and that was tried out but Foley reverted to type with Keith Earls moving in from the wing and Conway was moved to the right wing.
Cian Bohane is a man that many may not recognise but he is another option at 13 that Munster may well try out in the coming weeks and months, watch this space!! Getting back to the letter I just hope that Fans can get behind the team this weekend in Leicester and just see where that takes us. This weekend again is huge, we are hanging by a thread in Pool 4 even with one game to spare to be played against Stade Francais in early January. But first a foremost another huge European night in Welford Road to come this Sunday at 5.15 where Munster will do what has made them a legendary team is Europe and that is try and win on the road.
The performances in the last few years has seen people turn away from Munster and say they are finished and that is a person’s prerogative but I do feel that this team has a big performance within them every team does and Munster may just need to call on that performance this weekend. I know in my heart and soul it is there and what better way than to roar back into contention with a win in Welford Road , It has been done before , No reason why it can’t be done again. TO THE BRAVE AND FAITHFUL NOTHING IS IMPOSSAIBLE, this particular motto is needed this weekend like no other time , So Lads go out this Sunday and show everybody what wearing that famed Red Jersey really means.
By
Cian Mc Gibney
17/12/2015