This evening the quest to see who will win the 24/25 Champions Cup begins as Bath welcome La Rochelle to The Rec in Bath with an 8pm kick off. Ireland’s 3 sides in the Champions Cup won’t start out until tomorrow at 5.30pm with Munster taking on Stade Francais.

Ulster and Leinster are away in round 1 with both sides playing on Sunday, Ulster go to Toulouse and Leinster play Bristol. Connacht are in Challenge Cup action facing Zebre in Galway. I have seen it written that yet again it’s been a low key build up to European action and most people may not realise that  European rugby’s flagship club competitions are about to start.

The stake holders have downgraded a once great tournament to a near foot note, the competition has been revised and restructured on more than one occasion and has lost two rounds in the Pool phase with a last 16 round in its place.

A once great tournament, is most defiantly a shadow of its former self. I know players will scoff at the very thought of this particular opinion but all of rugby has changed beyond recognition over the past 15 years in particular. Yes there are varied reasons for this and I won’t bog people down with the ins and outs as I will be here all day if I do so.

Sufficient to say, it is not the same as when I was kid into my mid-twenties. The powers that be have made sure of that and of course money and TV will always dictate things and to that end, Premier Sport will have full coverage of this year’s fare.

This company has been under various names over the years and have brought some new blood into the fold for the new campaign with the likes of Matt Banahan ex England winger one of the new names we will see over the next few months.

Let’s hope the product on field is what we are speaking of at the end of the opening weekend and not the product off field of coverage issues etc.

For Ireland’s Champions Cup participants namely Leinster, Ulster and Munster it will be important for them to start with wins on week 1, Munster drew on the opening weekend last year and will feel they will need to do much better this time around.

Ulster play defending champions Toulouse who are fully armed and raring to go in front of their home crowd. Leinster face Bristol in what could be the tie of round 1 given the recent form of both sides.

Connacht will want to kick start there Challenge Cup campaign with a win over Zebre and that could set them up for a real crack at the title this year.

The 30^th season of European rugby is about to kick start so sit back and enjoy it….

After the close shave against Argentina last week, Ireland play Fiji in their third game of the 2024 Autumn series with Australia left to play on Saturday week in a game that will mark the IRFU’s 150^th anniversary.

The game this week will offer Andy Farrell a chance to bring in some of the members of the Irish squad that haven’t seen game time against New Zealand or Argentina. Fiji followed up there win over Wales with a game vs Spain last weekend.

That game like Ireland offered Fiji coach Mick Byrne the chance to look at certain players within the Fiji set up that may not have faced either Scotland or Wales. Fiji will come to Dublin full of confidence and knowing that Ireland haven’t been there very best this autumn they will sniff a big opportunity of a win in Dublin.

From an Irish perspective, it is time to put in a full 80 minute showing which has not happened as yet over the first two games. Ill-discipline and poor set piece have hampered Irish efforts this November. Andy Farrell knows he only has two games left before he leaves to take up his position as British and Irish Lions head coach and he will leave the Irish job in the hands of Simon Easterby along with Paul O Connell and John Fogarty along with the other coaches within the management team.

There will be changes this week, but a complete overhaul of the 23 won’t happen and you can be sure the spine of the team for Saturday will be experienced.

Men like Doris, Henshaw and others will most likely keep their places. Guys like Nick Timoney and Dave Heffernan may be drafted in from the outside of the immediate 23 to get places on the bench. Only time will tell of course…

I will put on my selector hat and select my 23 to face Fiji on Saturday with a 3.10pm kick off time.

15 Jamie Osbourne

14 Jacob Stockdale

13 Bundee Aki

12 Robbie Henshaw

11 Calvin Nash

10 Sam Prendergast

9 Craig Casey

8 Caelan Doris

7 Nick Timoney

6 Cormac Izuchukwu

5 James Ryan

4 Joe Mc Carthy

3 Tom Clarkson

2 Dave Heffernan

1 Tom O Toole

–

16 Ronan Kelliher

17 Cian Healy

18 Tadgh Furlong

19 Tadgh Beirne

20 Josh Van Der Flier

21 Conor Murray

22 Ciaran Frawley

23 Garry Ringrose

There is my 23 to face Fiji and it would give Farrell but particularly Simon Easterby a look at certain options with an eye on the 2025 6 Nations and beyond….

After a 10 point loss to New Zealand in Dublin on Friday evening, Ireland re assembled in camp yesterday to prepare for the visit of Argentina this Friday evening with another 8.10pm kick off. Ireland will know that discipline will need to drastically improve over the next few weeks along with improvement at set piece and line out time. Although the Six Nations was won last March along with a win down in South Africa over the summer. The issues at the set piece and line out have continued and again as was seen over the weekend you need a solid set piece and line out to keep at pace with most teams.

Andy Farrell and Paul O Connell have work to do alongside the players to solve the problems that have occurred in the last few months. You cannot give away penalties in a game but you can cut our repeated penalties and that is a thing this group will have to work hard to rectify in the next few weeks.

The players will know that they will be under pressure to turn things around this week but in the long term the search for term successors to Tadgh Furlong, Cian Healy in particular will need to go into over drive.

The HIA for Tom O Toole on Friday was cruel on him as I think he might have made an impression at scrum time as Ireland were in dire need of change of fortune in the aspect of the game. Oli Jager is injured at the moment and it will be interesting to see will Ireland look for reinforcements for the game on Friday at tight head, Tom O Toole will most likely miss out so there are openings for others to step up to the plate.

I know he has switched over the loose head but can still cover the tight head side on occasion if need be and this weekend, Ireland will be hoping for a change in fortune this week. We may just have to wait and see where Andy Farrell may go with selections later in the week.

Will Tadgh Furlong be deemed fit to step in to the 23 or will someone like Jack Aungier or even Sam Wilson of Ulster be called in to the squad. Aungier for his part played well for Emerging Ireland on the 3 game tour in South Africa and this is the very situation that tour was designed for…

Ireland may also look to make alterations on the bench and freshen things up, players like Ryan Baird, Cormac Izuchukwu may be brought into the 23 and others like Robbie Henshaw may get onto the bench. As I say time will tell and while wholesale change isn’t required maybe a few changes may still be warranted as Ireland need a reaction this week.

I will now select the 23 I would like to see face Argentina.

15 Hugo Keenan

14 Jamie Osbourne

13 Garry Ringrose

12 Bundee Aki

11 James Lowe

10 Jack Crowley

9 Jamison Gibson Park

8 Caelan Doris

7 Josh Van Der Flier

6 Cormac Izuchuwu

5 Tadgh Beirne

4 Joe Mc Carthy

3 Finlay Bealham

2 Ronan Kelliher

1 Andrew Porter

–

16 Gus Mc Carthy

17 Jack Boyle

18 Jack Aungier

19 Ryan Baird

20 Iain Henderson

21 Craig Casey

22 Ciaran Frawley

23 Robbie Henshaw

It was announced yesterday to much surprise in many quarters that after 5 years with Munster head coach Graham Rowntree would leave his post. He joined in 2019 under Johan Van Graan as forwards coach and then succeeded him when the latter was let go and joined up with Bath.

Graham Rowntree brought in Mike Prendergast along with Denis Leamy and Andi Kyriacou as his defence, attack and forwards coach. This coaching group took time to bed in but then saw that bedding in period rewarded with a URC title win in May 2023.

In year 2 of the project Munster again started slowly but managed to put a winning run together at the tail end of last season to finish the league campaign top of the pile and secure a home quarter final that led to a home semi-final which saw Glasgow Warriors win in Limerick and go on then to defeat the Stormers in the Final last May.

Europe hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for Munster in recent seasons under Rowntree but after ending the wait for a trophy in May 2023 after 12 years without a trophy meant there was credit in the bank with supporters at least.

Injuries and recruitment issues have also plagued Munster over a long period of time, not often over his two full seasons did Rowntree have a full deck to play with and even though those injury issues did clear as the season’s end came into full view in both years which led to the URC win and last year the semi-finals.

This season brought fresh hope but 2 wins in the first 6 games puts Munster in 12^th place as the URC takes a short break to make way for the November Internationals and will resume on November 29^th with Munster back in action on Saturday November 30^th in Thomond Park playing the Emirates Lions.

Munster have put Ian Costello in interim charge for the glamour fixture with an All Black XV although some of the sheen has been taken from that game with the events of the past day or so.

The Munster professional games board along with the IRFU will need to shoulder some of the perceived blame that will be ultimately be banded about over the next few days.  Munster along with the IRFU have said they have commenced the process to recruit the next head coach of Munster.

Munster’s issues go far deeper than just financial, some of the decisions with regard to recruitment need to be addressed like the decision to let John Ryan leave along with James Cronin with John Ryan joining Wasps before they ceased to exist and then John Ryan dug Munster out of a hole by signing a short term deal before the arrival of Oli Jager who signed a 3 year deal.

James Cronin was allowed to look for a new club and has gone on the be involved on many match days with Leicester Tigers and recently signed a fresh deal with Leicester. They are two examples of poor decisions that Munster will back on and the fact that John Ryan re-joined Munster after a spell in New Zealand with the Chiefs to back up Stephen Archer tells you that Munster have no faith in there young props to step up to the plate when called upon.

The choice between keeping RG Snyman or Jean Kleyn is on the IRFU where Leinster were on a position to bring in 3 international quality players at tight head, they signed Rabah Slimani, Jordie Barrett is joining in December until the end of the 2024/2025 season on a 6 month deal and RG Snyman signed a deal believed to be a year long contract.

The IRFU  have told the provinces they will not be able to recruit props from outside of Ireland but Leinster were able to bring in Slimani and I realise he will fill an NIQ position in the Leinster squad, non Irish qualified to those of you unfamiliar with the way the IRFU operates at the moment.

Munster have been able to bring in players in the centre particularly with Malkai Fekitoa and Antoine Frish joining up with both players playing a big part in the URC title win in 2023 along with RG Snyman and Ben Healy.

Munster have lost those 4 players as they have gone to pastures new and Joey Carbery moved to Bordeaux while Simon Zebo has retired. Yes injuries have had a major impact on Munster over the past few seasons but the Munster professional game board along with the IRFU will need to sit down and work out a plan going forward.

To Graham Rowntree and his coaches, Thank you for being the men to bring glory back to Munster in 2023 and bridge a 12 year gap without a trophy, which saw Munster get to the summit of the URC and win away in South Africa in the Final vs The Stormers 19-14.

Time now for a real genuine root and branch reset of the Munster organisation. Time and patience will be needed as to find the new coach will take time.

I hope that Ian Costello will take the reins until the end of the current campaign and even though this may not be possible due to his other working commitments within the Munster set up, he is well placed to take the bull by the horns and try and put in the early building blocks for the next Munster head coach whoever he may be….

To Graham Rowntree, I thank you for your time as Munster head coach and thank you for that day in May 23 which saw Munster get to the summit of the URC and win away in South Africa in the Final vs The Stormers 19-14.

15 Hugo Keenan

14 Jacob Stockdale

13 Garry Ringrose

12 Bundee Aki

11 James Lowe

10 Jack Crowley

9 Jamison Gibson Park

8 Caelan Doris

7 Josh Van Der Flier

6 Cormac Izuchukwu

5 Tadgh Beirne

4 Iain Henderson

3 Tadgh Furlong

2 Ronan Kelleher

1 Andrew Porter

–

16 Gus Mc Carthy

17 Tom O Toole

18 Finlay Bealham

19 Joe Mc Carthy

20 Ryan Baird

21 Conor Murray

22 Ciaran Frawley

23 Mack Hansan

Here is the XV I would select to face New Zealand on Friday November 8^th at 8.10pm. I realise injuries or suspensions may alter this XV but on current form and with the selected players at my disposal this is in my humble opinion is the best placed 23 to take New Zealand with Argentina, Fiji and Australia to follow before November ends…

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