2018–19 Munster Rugby season

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2018–19 Munster Rugby season
Ground(s)Thomond Park (Capacity: 25,600)
Irish Independent Park (Capacity: 8,008)
Coach(es)Johann van Graan
Captain(s)Peter O'Mahony
League(s)Pro14

The 2018–19 Munster Rugby season is Munster's eighteenth season competing in the Pro14, alongside which they will also compete in the European Rugby Champions Cup. It is Johann van Graan's second season as Head Coach and his first full season in the role, having joined partway through the previous season.[1]

Events

Munster played two pre-season fixtures ahead of the 2018–19 campaign, the first against London Irish, whose directory of rugby is former Munster and Ireland head coach Declan Kidney, and the second against Exeter Chiefs, which was be the first meeting between the two clubs.[2] Munster beat London Irish 32–28, but lost 12–0 against Exeter Chiefs.[3][4]

Drawn alongside French Top 14 champions Castres and English sides Exeter Chiefs and Gloucester, Munster will compete in Pool 2 of the 2018–19 European Rugby Champions Cup.[5]

Munster opened their 2018–19 Pro14 season with a six-try 38–0 victory against South African side Cheetahs in Thomond Park on 1 September 2018. Rory Scannell, Dave Kilcoyne, Tommy O'Donnell, JJ Hanrahan, Dave O'Callaghan and Man-of-the-Match Darren Sweetnam scored the tries, with Hanrahan adding four conversions, in a match that saw Arno Botha, Mike Haley, Joey Carbery and academy players Shane Daly and Gavin Coombes make their competitive debuts for the province, whilst Neil Cronin also made his first appearance for Munster since March 2015.[6]

Tadhg Beirne made his debut for Munster in the provinces 25–10 defeat away to Glasgow Warriors on 7 September 2018.[7] Munster's 64–7 win against Ulster on 29 September 2018 was a record win for the province in the Pro14; Munster's previous record win being 47–0 against Zebre in 2016.[8] In round one of the 2018–19 Champions Cup on 13 October 2018, a try from CJ Stander and five points from the boot of Joey Carbery secured a 10–10 draw in Sandy Park against Exeter Chiefs, in a match in which Dan Goggin and Neil Cronin made their competitive European debuts, whilst Tadhg Beirne, who was Man-of-the-Match, Mike Haley and Joey Carbery made their European debuts for Munster.[9]

Coaching & Management Staff 2018–19

Position Name Nationality
Head Coach Johann van Graan  South Africa
Defence Coach JP Ferreira  South Africa
Backs & Attack Coach Felix Jones  Ireland
Forwards Coach Jerry Flannery  Ireland
Team Manager Niall O'Donovan  Ireland
Head of Athletic Performance Denis Logan  United States
Senior Strength & Conditioning Coach Aidan O'Connell  Ireland
Strength & Conditioning Coach Adam Sheehan  Ireland
Strength & Conditioning Coach PJ Wilson  Ireland
Performance Analyst George Murray  Ireland

Senior Playing Squad 2018–19

Munster player movements for the 2018–19 season. For a full list, see List of 2018–19 Pro14 transfers.

The Munster senior squad for 2018–19 is:[22]

Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.

Player Position Union
Rhys Marshall Hooker New Zealand New Zealand
Kevin O'Byrne Hooker Ireland Ireland
Niall Scannell Hooker Ireland Ireland
Mike Sherry Hooker Ireland Ireland
Stephen Archer Prop Ireland Ireland
James Cronin Prop Ireland Ireland
Cronan Gleeson Prop Ireland Ireland
David Kilcoyne Prop Ireland Ireland
Jeremy Loughman Prop Ireland Ireland
Liam O'Connor Prop Ireland Ireland
Ciaran Parker* Prop England England
John Ryan Prop Ireland Ireland
Brian Scott Prop Ireland Ireland
Tadhg Beirne Lock Ireland Ireland
Billy Holland Lock Ireland Ireland
Jean Kleyn Lock South Africa South Africa
Darren O'Shea Lock Ireland Ireland
Fineen Wycherley Lock Ireland Ireland
Arno Botha Back row South Africa South Africa
Chris Cloete Back row South Africa South Africa
Dave O'Callaghan Back row Ireland Ireland
Tommy O'Donnell Back row Ireland Ireland
Jack O'Donoghue Back row Ireland Ireland
Conor Oliver Back row Ireland Ireland
Peter O'Mahony (c) Back row Ireland Ireland
CJ Stander Back row Ireland Ireland
Player Position Union
Neil Cronin Scrum-half Ireland Ireland
James Hart Scrum-half Ireland Ireland
Alby Mathewson Scrum-half New Zealand New Zealand
Conor Murray Scrum-half Ireland Ireland
Duncan Williams Scrum-half Ireland Ireland
Tyler Bleyendaal* Fly-half New Zealand New Zealand
Joey Carbery Fly-half Ireland Ireland
J. J. Hanrahan Fly-half Ireland Ireland
Bill Johnston Fly-half Ireland Ireland
Ian Keatley Fly-half Ireland Ireland
Sam Arnold Centre Ireland Ireland
Chris Farrell Centre Ireland Ireland
Dan Goggin Centre Ireland Ireland
Rory Scannell Centre Ireland Ireland
Jaco Taute Centre South Africa South Africa
Andrew Conway Wing Ireland Ireland
Keith Earls Wing Ireland Ireland
Calvin Nash Wing Ireland Ireland
Ronan O'Mahony Wing Ireland Ireland
Darren Sweetnam Wing Ireland Ireland
Alex Wootton Wing Ireland Ireland
Stephen Fitzgerald Fullback Ireland Ireland
Michael Haley* Fullback England England
  • Internationally capped players in bold
  • Players qualified to play for Ireland on residency or dual nationality *
  • Irish provinces are currently limited to four non-Irish eligible (NIE) players and one non-Irish qualified player (NIQ or "Project Player").[23]
  • Notes:

Pre-season

17 August 2018
19:30
Munster Ireland32–28England London Irish
Report[24]
Irish Independent Park
Attendance: 5,773
24 August 2018
19:30
Munster Ireland0–12England Exeter Chiefs
Report[25]
Irish Independent Park
Attendance: 5,948

2018–19 Pro14

Round 1

1 September 2018
17:15
(1 BP) Munster Ireland38–0South Africa Cheetahs
Try: Scannell 15' m
Kilcoyne 30' c
O'Donnell 52' m
Hanrahan 65' c
O'Callaghan 70' c
Sweetnam 72' c
Con: Hanrahan (4/6) 31', 66', 71', 73'
Report[26]
Thomond Park
Attendance: 12,265
Referee: Dan Jones (WRU)

Round 2

7 September 2018
19:35
Glasgow Warriors Scotland25–10Ireland Munster
Try: Gibbins 22' m
Hogg 28' c
Ashe 35' c
Con: Hogg (2/2) 29', 36'
Pen: P. Horne (1/2) 14'
Hogg (1/1) 72'
Report[27]Try: Marshall 69' c
Con: Carbery (1/1) 70'
Pen: Hanrahan (1/1) 43'
Scotstoun Stadium
Attendance: 7,351
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)

Round 3

14 September 2018
19:35
(1 BP) Munster Ireland49–13Wales Ospreys
Try: Penalty try 15'
Carbery 21' c
Cronin 27' c
Marshall (2) 40'+1 c, 42' c
Botha 45' c
Sweetnam 62' c
Con: Carbery (5/5) 22', 28', 40'+2, 43', 46'
Keatley (1/1) 63'
Report[28]Try: Morgan 60' c
Con: Davies (1/1) 61'
Pen: Davies (2/2) 20', 26'
Irish Independent Park
Attendance: 8,008
Referee: Stuart Berry (SARU)

Round 4

21 September 2018
19:35
(1 BP) Cardiff Blues Wales37–13Ireland Munster
Try: N. Williams 6' c
T. Williams (2) 16' c, 76' c
Halaholo 44' c
Con: Anscombe (3/4) 7', 17', 45', 77'
Pen: Anscombe (3/3) 52', 63', 70'
Report[29]Try: Conway (2) 10' m, 13' m
Pen: Carbery (1/1) 23'
Cardiff Arms Park
Attendance: 7,284
Referee: Quinton Immelman (SARU)

Round 5

29 September 2018
19:35
(1 BP) Munster Ireland64–7Ireland Ulster
Try: Goggin (2) 5' c, 37' c
O'Donnell (2) 8' c, 30' m
O'Mahony 50' c
Carbery 62' c
Arnold 66' c
Earls 70' c
Wootton 77' c
Con: Carbery (5/6) 5', 9', 37', 51', 63
Keatley (3/3) 67', 71', 78'
Pen: Carbery (1/1) 16'
Report[30]Try: Cave 46' c
Con: Burns (1/1) 47'
Thomond Park
Attendance: 13,907
Referee: Dan Jones (WRU)

Round 6

6 October 2018
18:00
Leinster Ireland30–22Ireland Munster
Try: Penalty try 10'
Lowe (2) 14' c, 44' c
Con: Byrne (2/2) 15', 46'
Pen: Byrne (3/3) 32', 40'+2, 69'
Report[31]Try: Beirne 19' m
Stander 27' c
Mathewson 66' c
Con: Carbery (2/3) 28', 67'
Pen: Carbery (1/1) 55'
Aviva Stadium
Attendance: 50,120
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)

Round 7

Round 8

4 November 2018
16:45
Cheetahs South AfricavIreland Munster
Toyota Stadium

Round 9

25 November 2018
16:30
Zebre ItalyvIreland Munster
Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi

Round 10

Round 11

21 December 2018
19:35
Ulster IrelandvIreland Munster
Kingspan Stadium

Round 12

29 December 2018
17:15
Munster IrelandvIreland Leinster
Thomond Park

Round 13

Round 14

26 January 2019
15:00
Dragons WalesvIreland Munster
Rodney Parade

Round 15

Round 16

22 February 2019
19:35
Ospreys WalesvIreland Munster
Liberty Stadium

Round 17

2 March 2019
17:00
Scarlets WalesvIreland Munster
Parc y Scarlets

Round 18

22/23/24 March 2019
TBC
Munster IrelandvItaly Zebre
Thomond Park

Round 19

Round 20

Round 21

26/27/28 April 2019
TBC
Munster IrelandvIreland Connacht
Thomond Park

2018–19 European Rugby Champions Cup

Munster will face Castres, Exeter Chiefs and Gloucester in pool 2 of the 2018–19 European Rugby Champions Cup. They were seeded in tier 3 following their fourth place finish overall and exit from the 2017–18 Pro14 season at the semi-finals stage.[5][32]


P W D L PF PA Diff TF TA TB LB Pts
Ireland Munster (5) 6 4 1 1 138 72 66 14 9 2 1 21
England Exeter Chiefs 6 2 1 3 124 104 20 18 11 2 2 14
France Castres 6 3 0 3 97 142 –45 11 16 1 1 14
England Gloucester 6 2 0 4 122 163 –41 15 22 0 0 9

[33]

Round 1

13 October 2018
15:15
Exeter Chiefs England10–10Ireland Munster
Try: Cowan-Dickie 38' c
Con: Steenson (1/1) 39'
Pen: Steenson (1/1) 18'
Report[34]Try: Stander 63' c
Con: Carbery (1/1) 64'
Pen: Carbery (1/1) 31'
Sandy Park
Attendance: 12,749
Referee: Jérôme Garcès (FFR)

Round 2

20 October 2018
13:00
Munster IrelandvEngland Gloucester
Thomond Park

Round 3

9 December 2018
13:00
Munster IrelandvFrance Castres
Thomond Park

Round 4

15 December 2018
17:30
Castres FrancevIreland Munster
Stade Pierre-Fabre

Round 5

11 January 2019
19:45
Gloucester EnglandvIreland Munster
Kingsholm Stadium

Round 6

19 January 2019
17:30
Munster IrelandvEngland Exeter Chiefs
Thomond Park

References

  1. ^ "Johann van Graan to join Munster as head coach" (Press release). South African Rugby Union. 12 October 2017. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  2. ^ "Munster To Host London Irish & Exeter Chiefs In August". Munster Rugby. 29 May 2018. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  3. ^ "Munster Edge Past London Irish In Cork". Munster Rugby. 17 August 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  4. ^ "Match Report: Munster 0-12 Exeter Chiefs". Munster Rugby. 24 August 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  5. ^ a b "Tough Draw For Munster In Champions Cup". Munster Rugby. 20 June 2018. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  6. ^ "Match Report | Winning Start at Thomond Park". Munster Rugby. 1 September 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  7. ^ "Report | Munster Fall To Defeat In Glasgow". Munster Rugby. 7 September 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  8. ^ "Report | Record PRO14 Win For Munster Over Ulster". Munster Rugby. 29 September 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  9. ^ "Report | Munster Draw Against Exeter Chiefs". Munster Rugby. 13 October 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  10. ^ "Beirne To Join Munster". Munster Rugby. 3 October 2017. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  11. ^ a b c "Contract Signings". Munster Rugby. 10 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  12. ^ "Munster Sign Mike Haley". Munster Rugby. 28 February 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  13. ^ "Player Contract Update". Munster Rugby. 10 April 2018. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
  14. ^ "Munster Sign Arno Botha". Munster Rugby. 17 May 2018. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
  15. ^ "Carbery Update". Munster Rugby. 31 May 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
  16. ^ "Munster Sign Alby Mathewson". Munster Rugby. 27 August 2018. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
  17. ^ "Squad Update Pre-Ospreys". Munster Rugby. 10 September 2018. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  18. ^ "Simon Zebo: Racing 92 reveal signing of Munster back before Champions Cup game". BBC Sport. 10 January 2018.
  19. ^ "Connacht Rugby announce signing of Robin Copeland". Connacht Rugby. 12 March 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  20. ^ "David Johnston to sign from Munster Rugby". Ealing Trailfinders Rugby Club. 17 April 2018. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  21. ^ "South African lock Grobler links up with Cherry and Whites". Gloucester Rugby. 21 May 2018. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  22. ^ "Munster Rugby | 1st Team Squad". Munster Rugby. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  23. ^ "Not all rules are made to be broken". Irish Independent. 4 September 2016. Retrieved 26 January 2018. Ireland's set-up demands a maximum of five NIEs - one of whom is a project player
  24. ^ "Munster Edge Past London Irish In Cork". Munster Rugby. 17 August 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  25. ^ "Match Report: Munster 0-12 Exeter Chiefs". Munster Rugby. 24 August 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  26. ^ "Munster serve up six of the best to beat Cheetahs". GuinnessPro14. 1 September 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  27. ^ "Hastings inspires Warriors to impressive victory at fortress Scotstoun". GuinnessPro14. 7 September 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  28. ^ "Vibrant Munster power past the Ospreys". GuinnessPro14. 14 September 2018. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  29. ^ "The Blues bounce back to win first game of the season". GuinnessPro14. 21 September 2018. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  30. ^ "Dazzling Munster put nine tries past Ulster". GuinnessPro14. 29 September 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  31. ^ "Byrne guides Leinster to win over rivals Munster". GuinnessPro14. 6 October 2018. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
  32. ^ "Munster's Champions Cup Fixtures Confirmed". Munster Rugby. 17 August 2018. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
  33. ^ "Pool Tables". Heineken Champions Cup. EPCR. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  34. ^ "Spoils shared between Exeter and Munster". EPCR. 13 October 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2018.

External links