Munster must win ‘all-or-nothing’ clash in Toulon

Coach praises development of Jack Crowley, whose importance is growing as Joey Carbery nears departure

It’s January and it’s the Champions Cup, so in time-honoured fashion Munster’s hopes of reaching the knock-out hinge on another high-wire act, and with little in the way of a safety net. As their attack coach Mike Prendergast admits, they are in “all-or-nothing” terrain.

Before Saturday’s crunch meeting with Toulon in the Stade Félix Mayol (kick-off 3.15pm Irish time), the two-time champions languish in fifth place in Pool 3 after letting slip winning positions at home to Bayonne and away to Exeter.

Surprisingly, Toulon, the three-time Champions Cup winners and reigning Challenge Cup holders, prop up the group after relinquishing leads at home to Exeter and away to Northampton. In other words, the losers at Stade Mayol face the very real prospect of not advancing to the Round of 16 and the knock-out stages.

“Yeah, for Europe it is,” Prendergast said when asked if Munster were in all-or-nothing mode. “Definitely. Absolutely,” he added. “Toulon still have a lot to play for, like ourselves, but it’s still very much open in terms of qualification.

“That’s where we’re at, at the moment, and it’s cliched stuff, it’s week by week and all we can look at is this week because we need a result this week. That’s the reality, and there’s an excitement with that as well.

Munster, he believes, can take some encouragement from Houdini-esque escape acts over the years as well as their unlikely five-game unbeaten away run to their URC title last season.

“You could feel it on Monday coming back in, a new competition and there was a bit of excitement getting a couple of boys back. You can look at the URC and park it now, in terms of 10th and fourth – I think there’s two or three points in it. It’s like most leagues in Europe at the moment. France and England are the same.

“This is different. We’re getting nearly to a knock-out situation and that brings its own excitement. You’re going over to Toulon, a huge club like we are ourselves in Europe. Yeah, thoroughly looking forward to it.”

Missing 11 players due to longer-term injuries, Prendergast was reasonably optimistic that of the other seven players on the road to recovery, Joey Carbery, Peter O’Mahony and Niall Scannell should be in the mix this weekend, whereas the participation of Oli Jager, Fineen Wycherley, Alex Nankivell and Patrick Campbell was still to be determined.

But having players of such experience as Scannell, their former captain O’Mahony and the departing Carbery “will help us a huge amount” Prendergast said at Munster’s HPC following their Tuesday training session.

“Someone like Pete, even in the build-up to the game, what he brings and what players do around him, he just has that about him and guys react in a very good way. I feel it as a coach.”

The Munster backs coach also maintained that confirmation of Carbery’s departure at the end of the season, with Bordeaux-Bègles ahead of a posse of French clubs in the race for his signature, will only intensify the player’s desire to leave a mark before he goes.

“It’s professional sport,” reasoned Prendergast. “From my own perspective, I’ve had it in France where squads change a huge amount every year, and that’s a challenge in itself.

“Here it probably happens less, albeit with the key position of a 10,” admitted Prendergast, his point all the more valid in light of Munster releasing or losing JJ Hanrahan, Jake Flannery and Ben Healy in recent times.

Due to the intensity of this 13-match block of games, Prendergast said Munster had not yet discussed a potential replacement at outhalf, and with the load on Jack Crowley heightened by Carbery’s injury, he praised the progress of academy outhalf Tony Butler.

“He’s a very calm guy and I think with the right people and players around him he can definitely grow.”

Even so, the need to find a replacement for Carbery is accentuated by Crowley’s increased load with Ireland, beginning with the upcoming Six Nations opener against France in Marseilles in three weeks.

Crowley has started a dozen games at outhalf for Munster since April, having previously started seven matches with 10 on his back, while also being used at 12 and 15, as well as a replacement covering all three roles.

“I think the good thing for him was to play in other positions as well,” said Prendergast. “I’d be a big advocate of that, being able to play 12 and 15 and just getting that feeling of an overall game. Thinking back, Dan Carter did the same when he was a young player, played a lot at 12, and it gives you that appreciation.

“Now with the way we’re going forward and what we’re looking for, you see him [Crowley] and he’s playing 10 most weeks. He just needs to keep learning, keep driving on and I think he’s doing that well at the moment.

“The good thing about Jack, there’s a high ceiling there, a very high ceiling, and there’s still a bit to go, which is really positive and we’ve seen what he’s done over the last year/year and a half.

“The exciting thing is there’s still more to come and he’s been starting with us this year, Six Nations is around the corner and see what that brings and then see where he goes. He’s a confident young lad that wants to get there and I think he’s got the mindset to do it as well. He’s driving in the right direction, definitely.”