Someone cringed this week at the thought of Munster being a brand. More cringed at the loss of the very brand that made them great. Those 'others' are the people who finance the brand that is professional rugby. If you don't understand that professional sport is a brand, then you don't understand professional sport.
I wonder what Conor McGregor is thinking as he enters the octagon? Is his head full of passion or performance? Yes, I’m sure he’s very conscious of the physical environment, which no doubts generates passion, but he’s totally focused on performance; his brand demands it.
As someone who has been involved in Munster rugby since 1988, I truly value ‘the brand’, but having been involved in professional sport I understand that that brand no longer exists. As stated here many times, two principles apply: firstly the organisation can go bust tomorrow; and secondly, relegation can occur each season that brings the first principle into stark focus. Then jobs are lost.
The provinces have been protected from both principles and have grown fat as a result. The rugby world has changed, especially in cash-rich England and France. How to react? McGregor? Ruthless pursuit of excellence, in every aspect of the organisation.
As chairman of Irupa, I sat with the IRFU in the early noughties as Connacht were potentially being culled. In heated exchanges, we all acknowledged the financial challenges. That Irish rugby did not have one corporate box at that stage was their failure, however, not the Connacht players'. Toulouse, Leicester et al had them, why not the provinces? Connacht’s potential demise focused the organisation into a radical rethink on and off the pitch.
Was the threat of death the spur they needed?
Major highlights
Many major highlights come to mind in Thomond Park but the phenomenal Tuesday night in November 2008 when Munster entertained New Zealand is uppermost. Why? Because it was largely Munster's second-string side and they were all quality players. How many of them came through the professional Munster academy or naturally through the amateur clubs? Players who went on to win World Cup medals were in that All Black team and Munster should have beaten them. How would Munster's second-string do now? Yes, passion was a massive player that night but professional sport is about precision on and off the field.
After beating the All Blacks in the RWC semi-final in 2003, Wallaby legend George Gregan said that he felt passion had no part to play in the modern game.
Munster have traded on passion but their successful past was built on quality decision-making and precision. On 29:58 last Saturday Munster stole off a Stade lineout and exploded from their goal line – brilliant. A great Conor Murray box kick and Keith Earls parry got them attacking across half way. Poor precision from Ian Keatley threatened the move but they recovered. But with Stade Francais in disarray, exact precision was required as secondrow Mark Chisholm arrived.
Chisholm is an average purchase replacing real quality. Why is talented Kerryman Ultan Dillane in Connacht? The Australian waited as first receiver off the ruck while it was vulnerable to Laurent Sempéré and Hugh Pyle. Chisholm made a poor decision and lost six valuable seconds when what was needed for a cracking score was a quality clear out. Ruck penalty conceded and two minutes later Paul Williams scored under the Munster posts. Three minutes after that Stade convert a scrum penalty and it's 10-0. Precision not passion is Munster's challenge.
So what can Andy Farrell achieve? Everyone can benefit from his arrival but if I were a player I would ask two questions. Will he have a vote in selection and will he take pitch sessions? Because, quite quickly, I would tire of his input if it falls short of these two. Clearly Munster are vulnerable from the battering they are getting but they are creating chances. At the core of their problem is their decision- making and their precision in execution; something Farrell must address.
Simon Zebo's miss of Hugo Bonneval was a result of his reading of the situation: watch what he watched. Francis Saili slid across to tackle Bonneval so Zebo stayed late on the last man. But Saili missed and Zebo had to re-adjust very late on his inside shoulder. He was not helped by Saili. Ulster struggled at Oyonnax too.
On 12:34, hooker Jeremie Maurouard broke from deep through a poor effort from Robbie Diack (precision) and arrived to a meek tackle (passion) from Ian Humphreys. But watch Craig Gilroy’s passionless non-contest of the breakdown on 12:41 – terrible. He should have stolen the ball, denying Oyonnax their first penalty that made it 10-0.
Appalling
Later, when Ulster turned over the ball on 24:01 to Pierrick Gunther, Oyonnax went down the blindside with Uwa Tawalo powering through an appalling left- shoulder effort from Humphreys. The Ulster outhalf worked hard to get there (passion) but lacked the precision to execute. However, Les Kiss had Paddy Jackson and Ruan Pienaar on the bench. Anthony Foley does not, making his immediate job extremely difficult.
Finally, I wonder why Munster are playing in Thomond Park at 1pm when Nenagh, Thomond, Bruff and Old Crescent all have 2.30 kick-offs at home.
PS: Congratulations to Ulster substitute loosehead prop Callum Black (who?). What an amazing last scrum from him to nullify Oyonnax’s scrum under the Ulster posts.
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