The United Rugby Championship (URC) semi-final of 2023 on May 13th witnessed an impressive performance by Munster who overcame Leinster in a thrilling match, which ended 16-15 in Munster’s favour. Despite Leinster’s stellar season, finishing 24 points ahead of Munster and having lost only one game until that point, Munster managed to secure victory as their outhalf, Jack Crowley, scored a stunning late drop goal. Munster’s form was commendable, as prior to the knock-out games, they had just returned from South Africa with one win and a draw.
On May 27th, 2023, Munster continued their roll as they clinched their first silverware in 12 years, beating the title-holders, Stormers, in the URC final in Cape Town. The crucial match ended 19-14 in favour of Munster with players Diarmuid Barron, Calvin Nash, and the match’s outstanding player, John Hodnett, scoring the tries. This marked a peak in Graham Rowntree’s managerial career.
In the 2024 Champions Cup, on January 13th, Munster celebrated one of their greatest achievements in Europe under Rowntree’s leadership by triumphing over Toulon in France during the group stage. This victory, with noteworthily creative tries by Alex Nankivell, Simon Zebo, Tom Ahern, and Calvin Nash, highlighted Munster’s bold style of running rugby. As Zebo precisely put it: “The brighter the lights, the better I play”. However, Zebo’s absence in the new season was keenly felt.
Nevertheless, not all went according to plan under Rowntree’s command. On April 1st, 2023, Munster suffered a severe defeat against Sharks in the Champions Cup, losing 50-35. The match in Durban was particularly disappointing as Munster’s defence was easily penetrated, allowing Sharks to score seven tries. A lack of discipline and handling errors took their toll on the Irish side, leading to their exit from Europe. Subsequently, Munster decided to part ways with head coach Graham Rowntree.
On January 20th, 2024, Munster met with a disappointing defeat at the Champions Cup against Northampton by 26-23, marking one of their worst moments. Despite having the advantage from a red card against Northampton leading by 20-10, Munster failed to maintain momentum and succumbed to a triumphant try by Sam Graham. This defeat translated into an away fixture instead of a home game in the next round which ultimately led to their elimination.
In a later meet on September 28th, 2024 with Zebre Parma during the URC, Munster, who had won all their previous 20 encounters against the Italian team, delivered a poor performance ending with a 42-33 loss. Commenting on the team’s lackluster presentation, Rowntree stated it was subpar and he would require the whole night to dissect the reasons for defeat. This defeat added to Munster’s middling position in the URC league table just before the international break.
Moreover, it was reported that the URC-winning head coach had parted ways with Munster.