Irish rugby was brought to a halt on Tuesday morning when it was revealed that URC winning head coach Graham Rowntree had departed his role with immediate effect.
While Rowntree's departure was met with the immediate appointment of Ian Costello as interim head coach, according to reports Munster now have their eyes set on a target and are ready to offer him the job.
Should that offer prove fruitful, Munster Rugby's next coach will have big shoes to fill. Graham Rowntree was the province's most successful coach in over a decade. The former English star first joined up with the Munster squad as their Forward's coach, before replacing Johann Van Graan as head coach in 2022.
During his two seasons in charge, Rowntree delivered the Province's first piece of silverware in over a decade when he led Munster to the 2023 URC title. While he failed to defend that title last season, Rowntree still delivered an impressive run that saw Munster finish on top of the URC standings.
8 October 2024; Attack coach Mike Prendergast during Munster rugby squad training at University of Limerick in Limerick. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
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Munster Rugby set to fill vacant head coach role internally
Reports this morning from Neil Fissler of Rugbypass, have revealed that Munster are set to offer their current attack coach Mike Prendergast the head coach role.
Prendergast, a Limerick native enjoyed two playing stints at Munster, as well as time in Gloucester and Bourgoin. While retirement saw him head back to France and gain coaching experience with Racing 92, Stade Francais, Grenoble and Oyonnaux, Graham Rowntree lured him back to his home province with a three-year contract as attack coach.
Despite Felix Jones and Ronan O'Gara emerging as the fan favourites to take the role, and names like Paul O'Connell being tipped as a potential target, the mid-season nature of Rowntree's departure combined with a shortage of funds means Munster's preferred route is to fill the role internally.
While the role may be Prendergast's if he wants it, returning Munster to the top of European rugby is a tall task that has been made even more difficult by this week's news. If he is to accept the role, there could be little question that Mike Prendergast will want and need a healthy resource package to set Munster back on an upward trajectory.
Munster's next game sees them take on an All Blacks XV on Saturday the 31st of November, where interim head coach Ian Costello supported by Prendergast and co, will take charge of Munster's first game without Rowntree in five years.
SEE ALSO: 'He Did A Hell Of A Job': Jackman Delivers Scathing Assessment Of Rowntree's Munster Departure
