'We need to keep our big players fresh' - Lawler defends Munster's rotation policy
Daly Rotation And Shane Coombes Patterson, Brady/inpho For Training Policy: Arrive Ben Gavin Pic: Paddy
Munster’s squad rotation policy has been defended as the province prepares to welcome back Gavin Coombes to the line-up for Friday night’s URC derby away to Ulster.
Both back-rower Coombes and back-three player Shane Daly sat out last Friday’s Champions Cup narrow pool loss at Castres, the No.8 and sometime lock acting as a water carrier at Stade Pierre Fabre while the latter is understood to have been kept at home following a head knock from the previous weekend’s win over Stade Francais, when the full-back marked his 100th Munster appearance with a super solo try in the bonus-point victory.
Yet with all Ireland international frontliners due to be stood down from one of the next two matches over the Christmas period in line with IRFU player welfare guidelines, Munster interim head coach Ian Costello insisted it was right to keep other key players in reserve for the URC interprovincial clashes at Ulster followed by a sell-out home meeting with Leinster on December 27.
That was a point re-emphasised by skills and assistant attack coach Mossy Lawler this week.
“Of course they want to play every week but the reality is that they just can't,” Lawler told the “Look, I think the biggest learning for us from last season was the likes of Gavin, Jack (Crowley), Tadhg (Beirne) played so much rugby that we need them fresh come the end of the season.
“So when you have a squad that we do and the trust that we have in every single player it's about giving others opportunities too but it's also about us being able to compete on both fronts and keep our big players fresh.
“We’ve a squad that we trust every week, no matter what 23 we pick, so there'll be a team picked for Friday night and there'll be a team picked for next week and whoever goes out on the pitch, we'll be looking to win those games. We’ve full trust in everybody that's in our squad, and we look forward to getting them games time and getting them out on the pitch.
Lawler, whose signing of two-year contract extension to the summer of 2027 was announced on Tuesday, sang the praises of both Daly and under-pressure fly-half Crowley ahead of Thursday’s team announcement for the trip to Belfast.
“To have a player of Shane's class, got his hundredth cap against Stade, a massive achievement for himself and his family, he's a player that we love here and to have the luxury of him come back in this week is a massive plus for us.”
Crowley will be asked to go again despite a disappointing performance in the 16-14 defeat at Castres and Lawler said his reaction in training this week had been “great”.
“Jack is Jack's biggest critic. He came in positive on Monday morning and we certainly wouldn't judge Jack on a one-off game like that.
“Jack’s our leader. Jack’s our 10 and he's the most resilient kid that I've ever come across, so I expect nothing more than his best on Friday night.”