A Crisis of Identity - Munster Rugby

We all need a past - that's where our sense of identity comes from - Penelope Lively

The opening rounds of the Heineken Cup have finally come to a close. Indeed there are many talking points from Clermont's rampaging form, Toulon's "galacticos" as well as the Champions Leinster's own stuttering victories.

However watching Munster on Sunday Dean Ryan, the former Gloucester coach, raised an interesting point at the interval of their game against Edinburgh.

With Munster only leading 6-0 at the break Ryan was scratching his head as to why Munster were not sticking it up the jumper and playing to their traditional strengths. From the way they played in the first half it was hard to argue with his assessment.

Munster continued to play rather insipidly for the next twenty minutes against a really abject Edinburgh outfit. A converted try by Conor Murray and a penalty from Ian Keatley left Munster in a comfortable 16-0 position going into the final ten minutes but their overall performance was hardly enthralling.

From there the Munster of old exploded into life. Back to basics. The forwards finally went for the heart of Edinburgh and lo and behold they had the bonus point sealed by the final whistle. It puts the men in red back in contention for their eagerly anticipated back to back clashes with Saracens, who have only lost once this year and also pummelled Edinburgh (did I mention they are really bad at the moment!) in Murrayfield.

However the question is do Munster revert to type or do they continue to follow Rob Penney's blueprint? Do they gamble on short term success or should they endure the tough times for a brighter future? People will say it is in Munster's blood, DNA, and identity to adopt a forward approach. It has of course led to so much success for them down through years.

There are caveats to this though. For the duration of Munster's golden era (2006-2009) they possessed some of the best forwards in Europe. Jerry Flannery was an excellent hooker and could well have been a test Lion only for injury. The talisman that is Paul O'Connell has been the best second row in Europe for the last half a dozen years and his partner in crime Donncha O'Callaghan has three Lions test appearances to his name.

Furthermore Alan Quinlan, David Wallace (three Lions appearances) and Denis Leamy were a ridiculously formidable back row unit in that period. The same credentials cannot be placed upon the current team. It says a great deal that Donncha Ryan who should be partnering O'Connell in the green of Ireland never mind the red of Munster is currently playing in the back row.

Indeed the likes of Peter O'Mahony and Sean Dougall have really showed some glimpses of quality and potential already whilst Paddy Butlers line for Munster's third try was simply sumptuous. Why not try and expose them to a more expansive style? The roll up the sleeves job will work against Edinburgh.

But try that against Clermont, Saracens or Leinster...they will be eaten alive. Change is not always a bad thing. They need look no further than their Irish rivals Leinster to appreciate that. Leinster were often associated with stylish, silky play in the early to mid 2000's. However when 2009 rolled around for their maiden Heineken success their rugby was not all that flash.

This was epitomised by a 6-5 win over Harlequins in the quarter final, a massive defensive effort against Munster in the semi where one try came courtesy of a Brian O'Driscoll intercept and finally they ground down Leicester in the final. Michael Cheika performed a major overhaul when he took over to provide success, but it took a great deal of time and a few tough beatings on the way to reach their Holy Grail.

So will Munster go back to basics and attempt to take on any of the beasts that they will face in an attempt to achieve short term gains or will tradition be put to one side in the hope of a brighter future. I think Rob Penney will continue to try and develop Munster's play over the coming years. It can only be hoped there is time and patience given to him to achieve this.