‘He knows what Munster people want to see and he probably knows where this team needs to go next’

Updated Mon 1src:src7 PM

MUNSTER’S LONG SEARCH for a new head coach could finally be set to come to an end, with reports today suggesting the province have decided to give the top job to current forwards coach Graham Rowntree.

According to a report in The Limerick Leader today, Munster have already offered the position to Rowntree, who has accepted and will succeed the outgoing Johann van Graan at the end of the season, with the South African set to join English Premiership side Bath.

Van Graan announced his decision to leave the province almost four months ago, and Rowntree quickly emerged as one of the favourites to step into the top job.

The development was discussed in-depth by Bernard Jackman, Murray Kinsella and Gavan Casey on today’s episode of The42 Rugby Weekly Extra – which is available exclusively to members of The42 every Monday and Wednesday.

“I think, to be honest, it has the potential to be very different,” said Bernard. “He wasn’t part of Johann’s regime coming in here. He’s got his own experience. It’s vast experience from across the game.

“By all accounts he’s a very loyal guy and probably had very little chance to really influence the overall environment as an assistant coach, y’know? And if you looked at the pecking order, Johann was number one, it seemed as though (Stephen) Larkham was maybe given the coach-type role – on the pitch anyway – so he would have had a huge influence.

Then, their defence coach (JP Ferreira) is obviously very close to Johann. And then ‘Wig’ (Rowntree) was doing scrum. And apparently Johann did a lot of the lineouts as well, and he did a bit of contact area, so he (Rowntree) probably didn’t have a huge amount of opportunity to really put his stamp on things in terms of the overall te