http://www.munsterrugby.ie/news/10444.php

Can't believe they've gone for a Sh blow in.....

As a Canterbury fan, can I just congratulate Munster. This guy is the best coach in NZ. He was forced out of NZ because of the long running feud between Robbie Deans (and by association Penney who was a friend of Deans) and the NZRU CEO Steve Tew and AB coach Steve Hansen. Penney could have won a hundred provincial titles in a row and would not have been considered for a S15 job under the current NZRU regime. I will lament his loss every day, but wish him all the best. I hope you value him. Don't expect miracles, but give him time to settle in and do his best. I'm sad but I'm also proud for him.

Seriously.

wow.

As a Leinster fan this is terrible news
as an Irish fan it's great.

Fantastic coach, congratulations.

We are, not to overstate the news, fcuking delighted, so we are.

You should be.

As an example, these are some of the players that Penney took from academy players or provincial rookies to ABs. Some have become great, some not so great. But Penney helped them all reach the pinnacle of rugby.

Kiearn Read
Owen Franks
Isaac Ross
Colin Slade
Sonny Bill Williams
Wyatt Crockett
George Whitelock
Sam Whitelock

Not to mention players like Matt Todd, Robbie Fruean, Sean Maitland and Tom Taylor who are future ABs and have come through the ranks under his tenure.

AC, you've said before that Penney cuts his cloth according to what squad he has available to him each year with regards to his gameplan but what would you say his underlying rugby philosophy is?

Absolutely thrilled we got him. Thrilled.

Strong rugby principles. Excellent defense, great set piece, manic work rates at the breakdown and the ability to score tries from everywhere. But he's a hard coach to pin down for an "underlying rugby philosophy" because during his last four title winning seasons for Canterbury he has completely changed the team's style to suit his playing resources. We went from being a dour, defense orientated team in 2008 to the best attacking team in NZ in 2009-2010. One aspect of NZ provincial rugby is that there is a high turnover of players as they retire, move to the NH, or get promoted to the ABs and become unavailable for 3rd tier rugby. This is what is most exciting about him. He doesn't make his players adopt his style, he creates styles and gameplans that are perfectly suited to his squad.

I'm delighted they decided not to go with Foley but instead bring in someone with some new ideas and serious pedigree. Anything would have been an upgrade on McGahan but this is the best candidate there was and we should reap the benefits in the near future.

Hmmm, Munster have landed on their feet here, bastards.

Thanks for the info, Ali. Very, very excited by his signing with us.

Well - he's going to have to deal with a far more limited conveyor belt of talent; but I'd rather we had a proven operator addressing that issue than an apprentice, no matter how much potential there is in the apprentice.

A good start.

I'm very happy for Penney and Munster. And I will be following Munster closely under Penney. But I am sad for NZ that we let the best provincial coach of the professional era, and a proven developer of young talent, leave the country because of politics. Fuck Steve Tew and fuck Steve Hansen. NZ rugby just cut off its nose to spite its face.

Wow, that is a bloody good signing. Axel must be a tad pissed however !

Don't take this the wrong way Ali - it's meant as a (backhanded) compliment; but it does us good up here to see that Kiwi rugby is capable of less than 100% perfection in all things!

The day arrives and sees our skill set is going to be a deeply troubling day for Mr. Penney.

He'll have been well-briefed by our Kiwis. He will have a fair idea. That won't make the challenge any easier mind you - just hopefully not as overwhelming!

Ali,
Cheers for the upbeat prognosis on our new messiah and leader.

Posted this in the Irish rugby thread, but here it is just for you

Rob Penney

A calm Man with a big nose



Likes to drink giant vats of beer





Strong and Powerful, can life massive weights with one hand



Not afraid to Hug it Out





Rob Penney and Casey Laulala



The Man for Munster

Don't get me wrong. I'm happy for Penney and I hope he kicks arse for Munster. The NZRU has treated him like shit. Case in point, in 2008 and 2009 Penney's Canterbury beat Wellington teams coached by Jamie Joseph to win back to back provincial titles. Yet at the end of 2009 Joseph was promoted to coach the S15 Highlanders and Penney wasn't even granted an interview. Despite Jamie Joseph being his provincial bitch. Politics. All politics.

Aye. Someone better laminate the signed contract and lock it away in the biggest bank vault in Limerick before he actually sees the talent at his disposal compared to Canterbury.

Bad news for Leinster and Ulster but great news for Munster and Ireland overall so I am happy.

They still need a top notch skills coach and a dynamic back coach. Not a lot coming through Munster ranks at the moment so he may not have much to work with - A coach can only do so much.

Ali, how are Anscombe and Schmidt rated in NZ vis á vis Penney.

Just curious.

thanks for the info AC...he'll need that loaves and fishes approach with the Munster squad he's inheriting particularly the back line ; also glad that Foley didnt get it this early

Good news for Munster. It should get that Leinster/Munster rivalry simmering again.

Yup. Good question. Schmidt is walking on bloody water up here and turning pools of it into wine with casual over the shoulder glances while he's at it.

The B&I cup would beg to differ!!

While that is a bit tongue in cheek, there is some light at the end of the tunnell, Zebo, O'Dea, DOC 2.0, Butler, Nagle, Hayes, Foley are young still.

A big bruising project player in the backrow and some coherence in what we want to do, few years off Leinster, but if we can move away from mindless popping to static players off the base of a ruck Il be delighted

Aye. Someone better laminate the signed contract and lock it away in the biggest bank vault in Limerick before he actually sees the talent at his disposal compared to Canterbury.[/quote]

He looks fairly slippery. I'd be locking down the airports and harbours.

Mate, I don't expect Penney to work miracles for Munster straight away. But he's a great coach. The best NZ has produced for a long time, maybe ever. His provincial record is as good as anyone's, amateur era or pro. This guy could be an Ireland Grand Slam winning coach in 5 years, and I don't say that lightly.

Nope,didn't actually want the job and only interviewed for it because he was advised to,Axel is a clever lad and kows it's too early in his career and the wrong time to be taking over such a big team.

He looks fairly slippery. I'd be locking down the airports and harbours.[/quote]

drag him into the Sin Bin for a night of pints with some Limerick ladies of questionable morals and a camera and we should be sorted.

Sounds like a good signing for Munster, wish him well, should be good for Irish rugby anyway

To true

If Penney does the trick with Munster, so much the better for Irish rugby.

Honestly, he's rated much more highly. Anscombe was sacked for shit results at provincial level and Schmidt never did anything here. Penney is a genuine coach. He's not a former star player who got gigs on reputation a la Umaga or Kirwan (he was a good, solid provincial player) but he is the most successful provincial coach in the professional era.

Interesting.

You would be lucky to have Schmidt back, he is the best NH club coach at the moment.

Axel likes to win, for sure. But he's also sensible. And he's easily shrewd enough to see a) that now is probably not the time to give a rookie the reins, and b) there's a lot he can learn from Penney that will stand to him down the line when the position opens again.

All in all, I'm over the moon that new ideas are coming in from outside in the hands of a proven operator. He really seems to fit the bill. I'll be happy to sign off next season, if that's what it takes for him to settle us on a new and more edifying course.

Someone on here mentioned recently that they felt that sometimes it's the solid journeymen players who make the better coaches, rather than the 'naturals' - they've spent their playing days having to think about things more. How they'll compensate for being slower than oppo X; for being one-footed; for being a bit meh.

Lot to be said for it.

Mittster, Leinster are a team made for the Schmidt method 'though, with total buy-in from the players. I'm not so sure he'd be so successful at Munster, or an English club, for example.

Anscombe will be the guy under severe pressure.