Munster set for changing of the guard after narrow loss

RTÉ News​

2 days ago

Munster were knocked out of the BKT URC play-offs after a nerve-wracking penalty shootout that included some questionable sportsmanship.
However, what could get lost amidst the conversations involving the mild controversy is that some of Munster's most experienced players are now finishing up in the club.
The standard of player retiring or leaving the province this year are almost irreplaceable.
There is still a question mark over Conor Murray's future and where he will play rugby.
He announced that he'll be leaving Munster without announcing his retirement, suggesting that there'll be rugby in his future, beyond his Barbarians involvement later this month.
Regardless of whether his career goes on beyond that game, Murray has been one of Ireland's most consistent high-end performers in his time in green, without ever letting complacency creep into his club appearances.
I've often spoken about what it means when someone suggests that mindset is what separates players at the top of the game with other professional or non-professional players. Murray epitomises the difference.
I was always struck by his return to Munster, whether he was on tour with the British and Irish Lions or with the national side.
The Limerick man always came back and gave 7 or 8 out of 10 performances as a minimum.
The challenge is to keep the same hunger when you drop back a level, but Murray never acted like he was above any level and flicked the switch as soon as he came back to training.
The 36-year-old has been at the very top of the global game. He lived in that sphere for several seasons. He's been one of Ireland's best players no matter which era you're speaking about.
His involvement last weekend proves his worth.
He came off the bench at 65 minutes, not expecting to play extra-time. Yet it was his late penalty from distance that sent the game to extra-time.
The scrum-half stepped up in the penalty shootout, too. He's been a class act throughout his career, and he finished with Munster still showing that.
Speaking of players that are near impossible to replace, Peter O' Mahony has received his share of fanfare across the last few games because of the uncertainty surrounding when Munster's season would come to an end.
He said farewell to Thomond Park and Virgin Media Park in successive games.
His mindset is the part of his game that's irreplaceable. His physical ability was under-appreciated by the very end of his career, but nobody ever dared to underestimate his physical ability in a lineout.
His leadership isn't easy to find, his rugby IQ doesn't come along often, and Munster are going to miss him an awful lot in the coming seasons.
Stephen Archer will bow out of the game following last weekend's defeat. He'll retire as Munster's most-capped player, which is a sign of his consistency and durability in a position that requires a robust animal.
One of my earlier memories of Archer was over 10 years ago now.
It was one of my first preseasons with Munster as a graduate of the underage system. Academy players would often get called in for preseason.
Archer ran an incredibly fast 1km time trial, mixing it with loose forwards and backs.
You couldn't always say that about front row players. His approach and professionalism stuck with me since that day.
It's not surprising that he fought his way to top appearances in Munster, in a dressing room that recognises him as the character within the walls of the high-performance centre.
If there's craic to be had, you know Archer is behind the scenes orchestrating something.
He's a players' player with his career spanning the length of the gap between Munster's two league victories.
The Cork native was on the bench in 2011 when Munster beat Leinster in the Celtic League final.
He became an 80-minute man when Munster won the league two seasons ago. He's had an incredible career and deserves to bow out with the honour of the club's most used player.
The future of Rory Scannell is also uncertain, following his 200th appearance for Munster last weekend. He was one of Munster's most robust players for a long period after his breakthrough with the club.
My last games in red were played alongside Rory, in a pressurised season where he was the shining light.
Throughout team performances that were mixed and inconsistent, Scannell stepped up repeatedly as a younger member of the team.
I watched a highlight reel last week in the build-up to his 200th appearance.
He has won games with his powerful left boot, while crossing for tries and playmaking from midfield. He's an intelligent all-rounder and a guy that lives and breathes the game.
Munster lost a knockout game last weekend, but the reality is that they're losing an incredible amount of rugby IQ, leadership and consistency.
It will give younger members of the team the chance to step up. They have no choice. Replacing some of these players will be an enormous task.
Many supporters are looking forward to the introduction of Clayton McMillan in the hopes that fortunes will turn once again.
However, they'll have to manage this period without a huge wealth of experience and players with a strong Munster identity.
Change is inevitable, but it feels like big changes are coming in Munster.