Penney Appointed

[DONC]

Good clear voice with measured and even tone, sounds like a thoughtful and open guy, and especially interested with his emphasis on working with the players who are (his emphasis) HERE. No wish list. Has assessed the situation. Interesting photo from training with him and young Donnellan. Enjoyed his references to robust discussions - he is obviously prepared to speak and listen both. The level of forward expertise here is massive with RP himself, Niallo and Axel. He is here to win in European competition and make a bigger name back home.

Yea agree with that. I sense a great big chip on the shoulder and I really am feeling optimistic regarding our future, may not be fully there next season but book early for the Heino final in 2014 me thinks.

Excellent interview would not agree that could have been Tony Mc in 2008 I never heard him that lucid or clear. Penney also has the experience that Tony Mc didn't have.

[munstershane]

Penney also has the experience that Tony Mc didn't have.

and I think that's what gives him a confidence of what he is about, that Tony never seemed to have when he was interviewed

[rua13]

Excellent interview by Penney, i got the impression that he thinks there are certain things he can change almost straight
away to improve how we play,, maybe being cuter at ruck time perhaps.. he alluded to this also in May when interviewed

[B.A.]

Lets not get too gushing about his interview technique. Kidney won us 2 heineken cups without ever saying anything useful to the press.

[DONC]

Lets not get too gushing about his interview technique. Kidney won us 2 heineken cups without ever saying anything useful to the press.

B.A. I have to say your avatar is making me feel quite ill. Our friend MT Cranium is forecasting a nice (by our standards) weekend why are you trying to spoil it

[the_dazz]

Lets not get too gushing about his interview technique. Kidney won us 2 heineken cups without ever saying anything useful to the press.

Be that as it may, Penney and Kidney are chalk and cheese interview wise. From Penneys it was clear that he knew exactly what he wanted Munster to do and was confident the players would be able to do it. Kidney just says a cryptic version of sweet **** all! Either way you don't want your coach shouting the teams game plan across the airwaves mid pre season!

[B.A.]

B.A. I have to say your avatar is making me feel quite ill. Our friend MT Cranium is forecasting a nice (by our standards) weekend why are you trying to spoil it

Mary says F.U.

[DONC]

Mary says F.U.

But B.A. wont you think of the children ..... the children

[MrsMcGahan]

The gushing is getting very sad. Very needy feeling coming across from many posters.
Penney is a superb coach but whether it will work out for Munster is unproven.
The players will definitely get a huge burst of enthusiasm from new ideas, faces, and opportunities.
There will be some great displays in the early months.
Then ingrained tendencies will rear their heads and Penney's real work will start.
The Munster spirit is a bit perverse, as DK often said: we like to make things hard for ourselves. Especially by underperforming when least expected. This is quite different from the Kiwi rugby psyche and won't be easy for Penney to fathom.
As he said himself he wants to change some things but getting the group to really come with him is the issue.
It's not like UUllllllsssttteeerrrr, or Connacht where expectations were low and nobody pays much attention to shambolic displays. A few bad games and the uproar will begin and it might be even harder to get players to buy into the new. You'll end with tension in the coaching team as under TMG.

[Thomond78]

Mary says F.U.

You're fecking enjoying looking at her, aren't you?

BAN THIS SICK FILTH!

[B.A.]

You're fecking enjoying looking at her, aren't you?

BAN THIS SICK FILTH!

She's a fine specimen if you like a woman with a bit of meat on her bones.



I just got a bit sick in my mouth.

[DONC]

She's a fine specimen if you like a woman with a bit of meat on her bones.



I just got a bit sick in my mouth.

I like a woman with a bit of meat on the bones .......... its half a tonne of blubber I object to.

[Thomond78]

She's a fine specimen if you like a woman with a bit of meat on her bones.



I just got a bit sick in my mouth.

BA, for your own good, seek professional help. FAST.

[the_dazz]

The gushing is getting very sad. Very needy feeling coming across from many posters.
Penney is a superb coach but whether it will work out for Munster is unproven.
The players will definitely get a huge burst of enthusiasm from new ideas, faces, and opportunities.
There will be some great displays in the early months.
Then ingrained tendencies will rear their heads and Penney's real work will start.
The Munster spirit is a bit perverse, as DK often said: we like to make things hard for ourselves. Especially by underperforming when least expected. This is quite different from the Kiwi rugby psyche and won't be easy for Penney to fathom.
As he said himself he wants to change some things but getting the group to really come with him is the issue.
It's not like UUllllllsssttteeerrrr, or Connacht where expectations were low and nobody pays much attention to shambolic displays. A few bad games and the uproar will begin and it might be even harder to get players to buy into the new. You'll end with tension in the coaching team as under TMG.

And the award for the most pessimistic post of the year goes to your self!

[i_like_cake]

And the award for the most pessimistic post of the year goes to your self!

actually it was a good emotionless commentary.... all true - with a nice sly kick in the todgers ghoulies....

[the_dazz]

actually it was a good emotionless commentary.... all true - with a nice sly kick in the todgers ghoulies....

Ill agree with the sly dig but the pessimism is unbearable, especially at this time of year.

[Dumptruck]

Has Penney won the ERC Award for best opening presser by a head coach ?

[Thomond78]

Has Penney won the ERC Award for best opening presser by a head coach ?

Never mind that ****, what are we going to do about BA? Intervention, folks, IN-TER-VEN-TION!

[DONC]

Never mind that ****, what are we going to do about BA? Intervention, folks, IN-TER-VEN-TION!

FLOG HIM FLOG HIM I SAY then BAN HIM. The question is with what to flog him, a bone from one of his dream womans () old corset's perhaps? He might be lucky it could still be warm.

[Thomond78]

FLOG HIM FLOG HIM I SAY then BAN HIM. The question is with what to flog him, a bone from one of his dream womans () old corset's perhaps? He might be lucky it could still be warm.

Oh, Christ. It's clearly contagious. DONC's gone, now.

Chippy, Chippy, what fresh hell have you unleashed on us...?

[Hugged Rugger]

To be fair to Kidney he laid his cards on the table once at least :

[Sketchy]

One thing the guy has is charisma in spades. This will be hugely important for all our young players who need someone to guide them as they haven't been there before. Imagine Penney telling you at the age of 21/22 that he thought you did a great job? You'd be chuffed. Or if he thought you needed to work on "x". You'd listen.

Now we just have to hope he has the coaching skills and playing style to back up the charisma the dude clearly exudes. And his history with Cantebury would suggest he does. I am a pessimist at heart... but Jesus, after the seasons we have had, now is a time to be optimistic. And enjoy the optimism. The buzz in the players camp must be electric. Why should we not enjoy it too?

[busby]

Reading a few comments on the twitter machine, the players give off the impression that this pre season is a bit more intense that anything that's come before.

[jmccoy]

To be fair to Kidney he laid his cards on the table once at least :

A classic

[blackwarrior]

Brief interview from Munster Rugby

Penney Settling In

25 July 2012, 6:22 pm
By The Editor

In his second week of pre-season new Head Coach Rob Penney talks about adjusting to life in Cork after making the move from New Zealand.“The first week was hectic, bit of a spinning top just trying to get to know all the players and work out how the system works here but by the end of the week I started to generate a nice picture of what I was in for and over the weekend was able to solidify my thinking.

This week we’re into our rugby stuff, and as I said before the boys are working great so I just want to slip in and add value anywhere I can.

I just about have the names now, and I’m generating a bit of humour with the pronunciation of some of the names and my emphasis on certain vowels, but I’m glad the boys are able to laugh at me.”

Read more ... http://www.munsterrugby.ie/news/10632.php

[the_dazz]

Reading a few comments on the twitter machine, the players give off the impression that this pre season is a bit more intense that anything that's come before.

Saw that too, the TOD was giving Murray Kinsella a good brief on some of the stuff their doing and it does seem like their doing some serious sessions. Probably to up the fitness levels for a higher intensity game plan that was previously used, at a guess?

[MrsMcGahan]

'We will beat the All Blacks’

By Charlie Mulqueen

Friday, July 27, 2012

Paul O’Connell was many thousands of miles away when Ireland came within inches of beating New Zealand for the first time and seven days later when the All Blacks scored their biggest ever win over the Irish.

A knee injury that still hasn’t healed entirely meant the Munster captain missed the tour but he was probably more disappointed than the players involved at how those games developed.

New Regime:

[taz]

http://www.irishrugby.ie/news/26920.php

Penney Looks Forward To European Campaign

New head coach Rob Penney is relishing the prospect of Munster's Heineken Cup campaign kicking off in Stade De France.



The announcement of the dates, kick off times and TV coverage of the 2012/13 Heineken Cup saw Munster pitted against Racing Metro first up with the game set for a big stage in the Stade de France.For Penney there is no better place to start their European campaign: "Racing are a magnificent side, they've got undoubted potential, and for us to get them early is going to be a real challenge.
"If they're up to the task and excited about the opportunity then they will be a handful. We're striking them at home at Stade de France in Paris, so it's a fantastic rugby venue for the boys to play on and I think it will be a really good launching pad for our European campaign."
Munster's first home game sees Edinburgh travel to Thomond Park in Round 2 and then they face a classic double header against Saracens in December with Wembley mooted as a possible venue for the English leg of the tie.
Penney is confident that the 'Red Army' will once again prove vital in the campaign: "Having Saracens and Edinburgh also in our pool has given us some real quality opposition and they are all strong sides so when they visit Thomond Park it's going to be important that our passionate supporters get in there and give the boys a lot of support which I'm sure they will.
He is also looking forward to the squad proving their mettle on the European stage: "We just need to be as good as we can be and produce the right performance that the Munster boys know they are capable of.
"Without doubt the Heineken Cup is obviously where it's at, in terms of the level of footy the boys can aspire to play outside of international rugby and I'm really excited about the European championship."

[Sketchy]

Great line from Paulie:

"We won’t be favourites for the Heineken Cup but I like the way pre-season is going, I like the new coaches, I like the attitude of the guys on the training field and I like the new players who have come in so I think it’s an exciting time."

We won't have the best team in Europe but we should be capable of beating anyone on our day with a full team. We have enough quality now to have a very strong bench too. And sure if you have your day every time you play in the Heineken Cup...

[Valencia]

Has been pleasantly Ladies and Ullllllllllllster free on the site lately. Me Likey