Munster was always a controversial club over the last seven years when it came to discussion in board of foreign clubs in this site Munster probably topped the list and the question is why?
It all started in 2012 when Stander was ignored by Meyer – who had serious selection deficiency problems - decided that CJ Stander was a not a test level player and the chorus started . The anti-Stander brigade slated him in match after match and the discussion really became vicious after Stander was selected to play for Ireland.
So the next step with Munster was that Erasmus was appointed as Director of Rugby, That was controversial too according to some on site. When their Chief Coach died suddenly Ersmus took over the Chief Coach as well, Erasmus was as the Irish called him the “miracle man” and Munster did very well and Erasmus became Guinness Top 14 Coach of the Year,
After the wheels came off the rails iro the Meyer coaching stint, one of his Assistants – Johan van Graan’s contract only ended in 2017 and that was when he was picked by Munster to succeed Foley as Chief Coach of Munster to replace Foley.
In early 2018 the panic of SARC was in full force and the President and CEO flew to Ireland to plead with Erasmus to come back and save SA rugby, Van Graan took over as Munster Director of Rugby and Chief Coach. Van Graan must have learnt a lot from Erasmus in the more or less six months he was together with Erasmus. Unlike his previous boss at SA Rugby – Meyer – Van Graan was successful as coach at Munster and Meyer was fired by Stade Francais.
So now Van Graan was instrumental in getting RG Snyman and Damian De Allende contracted by Munster. De Allende was the best center in the WC and RG was a to class lock in the series. So now we have Van Graan, CJ Stander, De Allende and Snyman to discuss at Munster, while after the demise of Stade Francais and Ackerman’s departure from Gloucester there are only the following NH clubs that SA has a real interest in:-
* Munster in Ireland
* Montpellier, Toulon and Toulouse in France
* Sake Sharks in England.
* Edinburgh in Scotland
