TOUR MATCH MUNSTER v AUSTRALIA:WITH THE touring Australians due to park up at Thomond Park next Tuesday for the Sony Ericsson Challenge, coach Tony McGahan is hoping the younger members of his squad can launch their Munster careers in a similar way to what happened against New Zealand two seasons ago.

Much of the talk in Limerick this week has centred around that memorable night in November 2008 when the likes of James Coughlan and Niall Ronan impressed against the All Blacks. Both have since gone on to become regular fixtures for Munster in the Heineken Cup and McGahan is hoping for some of his lesser experienced players to propel themselves forward in a similar way against the Wallabies.

“There are a number of young men who played that night who brought a lot of credit to Munster rugby but also to themselves,” said McGahan, “and we’ll be looking for similar performances.

“They might need time to apply what they’ve learned and that can come in many forms, such as tactical or core skills, but the biggest thing is confidence.

“A lot of the young guys who played that evening have really kicked on and you gather a lot from being in that sort of environment playing. It might not all be present immediately, but certainly down the track those things come to the fore”.

It’s arguable that the Australian blueprint for player development is a model which Irish rugby might do well to copy given what the Wallabies have achieved with a relatively small pool of professional players. James O’Connor, for example, is a virtual veteran of international rugby at the age of just 20, with 24 caps already to his name.

However, McGahan maintains the Wallaby philosophy is not one which would necessarily suit Ireland. “You’re coming from two different environments,” he said. “You put players in that arena only if they are equipped physically, skill-wise and mentally.

“There’s no use putting young blokes in there if they’re not going to do well or if they’re not going to survive. To just say that we’ll put them out there when they’re young for them to lose and then carry on is not going to serve any purpose.

“There needs to be a purpose, and I think Irish rugby, with the players that have been here for the last period of time, has been successful.”

Looking forward to the rest of the week, McGahan claims that his job description will be relatively straightforward ahead of next Tuesday’s clash.

“To be truthful there isn’t a lot of coaching that goes on for nights like that. You just hold on and let the guys go.”