Van Graan on two new Arrivals at Munster

Van Graan made the following comments on Munster:-

Munster coach Johann van Graan is confident that the arrival of Springbok duo Damian de Allende and RG Snyman will boost the Irish team.

The World Cup winners both arrived in Munster from Japan while the 2019-20 season was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Due to the Covid-19 restrictions imposed, Van Graan said it was a strange introduction for new players at the club.

"Damian, RG, Matt (Gallagher) and Roman (Salanoa) haven't even met the whole squad because we've been training in small groups, so guys are meeting each other over Zoom and Microsoft Teams," Van Graan told the Irish Times.

"When Damian came in he was in isolation for two weeks. He's coming in from Japan, so you are bringing him food and looking after him. He's been behind a window and a wall, so [that was] a pretty strange start.

"When RG and his wife came, similarly from Japan, they went into their home and there's a wattbike and some weights waiting for him, and a piece of grass, and they just entered a home that's so new to them."

Van Graan, a former Springbok assistant coach, has no doubt that the newcomers will add value.

"Everybody knows the ambition and dreams that we have as a club and I think it's important to note that if you look at the four individuals, they all come from championship-winning teams and that's something that we want to become."

English fullback/wing Gallagher has joined from Saracens, while American prop Salanoa has joined from rival club Leinster.

The PRO14 is set to resume on the weekend of 22 August, with Munster facing two derbies - against Leinster (away) and Connacht (home) - and as they continue their hunt for a place in the semi-finals.

Munster are second in Conference B, with nine wins from 13 matches.

He made very good choices in getting De Allende and Snyman.                                   

Van Graan is a quite likeable fellow but I think he has to deliver tangible results next season. He's been there since 2017 and Munster level of performance has been pretty much static. There good enough to qualify for the play offs in the Pro 14 and with a favorable group in the Champions Cup a semi final in that tournament, but that's pretty much where they were before he joined a place they have have been unable to make a step forward from. .

Odd that Leinster are arguably the best club team in Europe at the moment, only Scarcens are potential their equal up north and with Scarcens being demoted to the English 2nd division at the end of this season, their squad is going be broken up and may not be a force in NH rugby for some time. The Leinster Vs Scarens Champions Cup quarter final is going be really interesting. Leinster at home undefeated all season in all competitions vs Scarens who's sole focus is now the Champion cup and its last chance to win for at least 3 years.

The national team peaked a year early and yes are probably not the best NH team at the moment but we are still in with a shout of winning this years 6 Nations but will likely need a bonus point win in Paris to do so (I'd be happy with just the win and go 4 out 5) We don't often get to the top up north but we generally pretty consistent and tend not to have prolonged dips the other nations have. Since the professional age in the 6 nations we have better win loss ratio against all other teams except France who we currently tie with.