Despite recent setbacks, head coach Graham Rowntree remains optimistic as former champions Munster embark on a two-match tour of the country in the Vodacom URC.
The Irish outfit faces the DHL Stormers in Cape Town on Saturday, with the hosts seeking their first win against Munster in the competition. Rowntree’s charges then regroup for a clash against the Sharks at Kings Park next week.
Munster’s history in South Africa bodes well, notably beating the Stormers in the 2022-23 URC final at Cape Town Stadium. But, following a sobering defeat to arch-rivals Leinster at Croke Park last week, Rowntree is eager to turn the tide.
“It’s been a productive area for us the last couple of seasons has Cape Town… South Africa,” he was quoted by The Irish Examiner. “We predominantly stay in Cape Town, there’s a hotel there we use and we’ll be flying up to Durban the night before the game.”
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Rowntree emphasises the importance of the South African leg for the Red Army: “I’m a strong believer that if you’re going to advance in this competition, what you do in South Africa is huge in terms of what you can acquire, points-wise.”
Despite a shaky start to the season, including a shock loss at Zebre, Rowntree remains composed. “I’ve never shied away from poor performances. [The Leinster defeat] for me, there wasn’t a lack of effort, it was accuracy. We’ll drive on,” he stated.
The coach is also banking on returning players and the team’s ability to regroup. “We get boys back next week, we get a lot of bodies back in November, we just drive on.
“We won’t sugar coat anything, we’ll have a strong review.”
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