It is 10 years and counting since Munster were kings of Europe.
A couple of weeks back, Ronan O’Gara and Barry Murphy joined the likes of David Wallace, Mick Galwey, Peter Clohessey and more Munster legends in New York. The former teammates were reunited to mark the decade anniversary of their 2008 European Cup win over Toulouse.
Murphy and O’Gara did not spend too much time fretting on Munster’s lack of European success when they were in New York – they were having too much fun – but they tackled the matter in an interview for Baz & Andrew’s House of Rugby.
In the new rugby show, hosted by Murphy and former Ulster and Ireland star Andrew Trimble, O’Gara offered some sensible words of advice to the current Munster side.
O’Gara, who joins Joe Molloy for Virgin Media’s Champions Cup coverage this autumn, notes that only a handful of the current crop will have played with Munster’s old guard. It is time, he says, for these players to forge their own history.
The Cork native is back in Ireland (and France) in the off-seasn from his Super Rugby posting with the Canterbury Crusaders. He arrived at a winning team – replacing All Blacks great Leon MacDonald on the coaching staff – and help them keep up the habit by reclaiming the title in the summer.
O’Gara spoke with several rugby legends in New Zealand about how Crusaders had to find their own path after a few years out of the winners’ circle.
“They were often guilty of looking at what the All Blacks were doing – when they were winning World Cups – and saying ‘What can we take from them?’
“But each team has to find its own way and work to their own strengths. What we say now at Crusaders is ‘What three areas can we improve?’
“Munster should do the same… They should not be obsessed with trying to copy the Leinster model; find your own. To me, I always believe Munster’s best way of playing, and taking on sides, is North-South.”
He has been impressed with how quickly Joey Carbery has settled at Munster and notes that he will take his game to another level when Conor Murray returns at scrum-half, and Chris Farrell comes back into rotation.
The raw materials are there – he believes – to turn some heads in Europe this season. Munster have a tough task against Exeter Chiefs, to start, but it is also the perfect opportunity to prove they can win big games on the road.
As it so often proves in Europe, this should be a compelling watch.
You can catch the full interview with Ronan O’Gara in Monday’s episode of Baz & Andrew’s House of Rugby.
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