In the previous post we analysed the statistics behind Declan Kidney and Tony McGahon’s success at the helm of Munster Rugby. It would be astute to now cast our eye towards their impact off the field, namely the players they brought in, and how they might have impacted upon victory or defeat in the famous red jersey.
Looking firstly at Kidney, when he arrived in 2005, he brought with him the following:
- Trevor Halstead – highly influential Springbok whose combination with the
- Mick O’Driscoll – severely underrated lock
- Tony Buckley – from
- Tomás ó Leary – current favoured Irish scrum half
- Federico Puciarello – powering prop
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| Andrew Trimble and Trevor Halstead grapple for the ball |
In 2006 Kidney signed Lifemi Mafi (effective in bouts, but a yellow card liability) and Andy Kyriacou (on loan). In 2007 Kidney brought in:
- Brian Carney - rugby league convert, useful on the wing, capped for Ireland
- Paul Warwick - mercurial journeyman
- Rua Tipoki - widely regarded as one of the premier centres in European rugby before an injury forced early retirement
while Halstead and Christian Cullen retired.
In Tony McGahan's first year (2008) he signed Doug Howlett while Shaun Payne retired as a player, but remained within the Munster set up. In 2009 McGahan's transfer activity went as follows:
- Wian du Preez (loan)
- Felix Jones - progression halted due to injury, now showing some serious form at fullback
- Julien Brugnaut - a disappointment in the Magners League, but doing very well by all accounts in the French Top 14
- Jean de Villiers - touted alongside Brian O'Driscoll as the best centre in the world, JdV never really hit the heights that Halstead did, although rumours are rife that his return is imminent
- Damien Varley
while Puciarello and Tipoki both retired.
This season McGahan released de Villiers, Jeremy Manning, Brugnaut, Nick Williams and let Warwick go on his way to Stade Français, while he brought on board:
- Peter Borlase
- Wian du Preez (permanently)
- Sam Tuitupou - might as well have been on loan seeing as he is leaving Munster at the end of this season
- Johne Murphy - serious talent
with Ian Keatley on his way from Connacht and rumours rife of a non-Irish qualified centre signing on the way...
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| Stopped over in Munster from Connacht to Stade Français |
While this type of head-to-head analysis is missing a lot of data, and really relies on subjective opinion to draw out any conclusion, perhaps the best way to view these transfers is by way of "Did it work out?".
Well, you'd have to say that neither Brian Carney nor Andy Kyriacou set Munster alight, yet these signings of Kidney's are offset by the undeniable successes achieved by all his other signings.
Brugnaut, de Villiers, Varley, Borlase, Tuitupou were all signings of McGahan's, and while great things were rightly expected of them, most would agree that they were disappointments for Munster, but McGahan perhaps offset this with Howlett, Murphy and Jones, although the latter two have a lot to prove...
