Despite some shrewd signings, doubts persist about Munster’s ability to go deep in two tournaments
Munster aim to show this season that they have learned from last season's lapses at key times. Photograph: Bryan Keane/InphoMike Prendergast has said that one of the lessons from last season was the importance of taking chances at key moments in big games, such as the ones they failed to seize in the Champions Cup Last-16 tie they lost to Northampton and the URC semi-final in which they were beaten at home by Glasgow.
In truth, after understandable teething problems at the start of the first season under the Graham Rowntree ticket, winning the URC after plotting an unlikely away route to the title was possibly ahead of schedule, even if ending their 11-year trophy drought removed a monkey from their collective backs.
Furthermore, at face value the departures of Snyman and Joey Carbery, along with the retirement of Simon Zebo, appear to have diluted their X factor significantly. It also means Munster will need a good return from their first three games against Connacht , Zebre Parma and the Ospreys . They then have a six-day turnaround before a tricky Friday night game away to Jeremy Davidson’s Castres, their long-standing rivals since the 90s. They resume in January with another must-win home game against Saracens, for they will want points in the bag before returning to the scene of last season’s exit at Franklin’s Gardens against Northampton, the English champions.
Graham-Rowntree Rg-Snyman Simon-Zebo Joey-Carbery
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