Former Munster scrum-half Conor Murray has ignited controversy with his scathing critique of ex-head coach Graham Rowntree revealed in his newly released autobiography, 'Cloud Nine: My Life in Rugby'. Murray, who lost his starting position to Craig Casey under Rowntree's reign, did not mince words about his former coach's capabilities and conduct.
"I didn’t rate Graham Rowntree at all," Murray stated bluntly in the book, an excerpt of which was published by the Irish Independent. "And, in his last season, even the younger players were starting to see through him." He further criticized Rowntree's lack of rugby acumen and mentioned, "I won’t be two-faced here and say I was sorry to see him go. In all honesty, I wasn’t." He also disclosed troubling interactions between Rowntree and team members, claiming, "The way he’d spoken to myself and one or two of my close friends in the squad was, at times, unacceptable."
This barrage of criticism against Rowntree has not gone unnoticed. Fans and commentators have taken to social media to defend the former coach, particularly highlighting his achievements including a United Rugby Championship title in 2023 and a top finish the following season. Journalist Brendan Gallagher responded to these criticisms by pointing out, "
"Yet Munster won a brilliant URC title under him and played some great rugby. Don’t think we are getting a full rounded picture of what went on here."
" Another user remarked on X, "
"Seems incredibly unfair. The bottom line is that he brought them a trophy in session 1 against the odds. And topped the URC regular season the next year."
"
The backlash continued with a poignant comment from a reader, stating, "I saw a genuine man who bought into Munster, a man with 54 caps, a prop in the six-man scrum that held out, repeatedly, against 8 AB’s on their own line, 3 Lions tours and 6N wins, but sure, what does he know compared to Conor? Bitter stuff."
In addition to his criticisms of Rowntree, Murray also lamented about Munster's cost-cutting measures and high coaching turnover during his time at the club. Meanwhile, Rowntree has moved on to coach the Japan Rugby League One club Urayasu D-Rocks, turning a new page in his coaching career.
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Former Munster scrum-half Conor Murray has ignited controversy with his scathing critique of ex-head coach Graham Rowntree revealed in his newly released autobiography, 'Cloud Nine: My Life in Rugby'. Murray, who lost his starting position to Craig Casey under Rowntree's reign, did not mince words about his former coach's capabilities and conduct.
"I didn’t rate Graham Rowntree at all," Murray stated bluntly in the book, an excerpt of which was published by the Irish Independent. "And, in his last season, even the younger players were starting to see through him." He further criticized Rowntree's lack of rugby acumen and mentioned, "I won’t be two-faced here and say I was sorry to see him go. In all honesty, I wasn’t." He also disclosed troubling interactions between Rowntree and team members, claiming, "The way he’d spoken to myself and one or two of my close friends in the squad was, at times, unacceptable."
This barrage of criticism against Rowntree has not gone unnoticed. Fans and commentators have taken to social media to defend the former coach, particularly highlighting his achievements including a United Rugby Championship title in 2023 and a top finish the following season. Journalist Brendan Gallagher responded to these criticisms by pointing out, "
"Yet Munster won a brilliant URC title under him and played some great rugby. Don’t think we are getting a full rounded picture of what went on here."
" Another user remarked on X, ""Seems incredibly unfair. The bottom line is that he brought them a trophy in session 1 against the odds. And topped the URC regular season the next year."
"The backlash continued with a poignant comment from a reader, stating, "I saw a genuine man who bought into Munster, a man with 54 caps, a prop in the six-man scrum that held out, repeatedly, against 8 AB’s on their own line, 3 Lions tours and 6N wins, but sure, what does he know compared to Conor? Bitter stuff."
In addition to his criticisms of Rowntree, Murray also lamented about Munster's cost-cutting measures and high coaching turnover during his time at the club. Meanwhile, Rowntree has moved on to coach the Japan Rugby League One club Urayasu D-Rocks, turning a new page in his coaching career.