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Dave Kilcoyne: Munster have so much potential for growth

'The growth prospect is huge inside so that's what we're all trying to do - fulfil that potential'
'The growth prospect is huge inside so that's what we're all trying to do - fulfil that potential'

Dave Kilcoyne believes it is only a matter of time before the work Munster are doing in training is replicated in matches.

The Ireland prop rates the new coaching ticket's high-tempo approach to training as among the best he has experienced.

Munster registered their first win of the Graham Rowntree era against Zebre on Saturday but it was another but the overriding feeling at the final whistle was frustration after they went scoreless for the final 52 minutes and missed out on a try bonus point.

They remain a work in progress but Kilcoyne is adamant they are heading in the right direction.

"If you look at how we're training this year, I've been at Munster a long, long time and we are training at a tempo that I've never trained at with Munster before," said Kilcoyne.

"Our sessions are excellent in terms of putting skills under pressure at high tempo, and that's what we need.

"I think it definitely took us a while to get used to it. We're slowly getting into it.

"The relief [at beating Zebre], we're happy enough with the win. We wanted the bonus point, there's no point in shying away from that. I thought at half-time we would have.

"But as I've already alluded to, the growth prospect is huge inside so that's what we're all trying to do - fulfil that potential."

Kilcoyne got another 49 minutes under his belt against Zebre, with Rowntree remarking that the 33-year-old is in the best shape of his career.

Having been sidelined for seven months with a neck injury, Kilcoyne is delighted to be able to add his experience and power to the Munster pack.

"Wig [Rowntree] says it as it is, I do feel very good," he said. "I was definitely blowing last week, that was my first start in seven months since that Scotland game in the Six Nations.

"I had a long time out of the game and I suppose, for me, it definitely created a hunger for what you're missing. I missed even travelling, going over to Bristol, staying with the lads.

"It gets taken away from you and it gives you a new gratitude to be back, and a hunger, especially when the coaching group we have inside is, in my opinion, the best we've had in a long time.

"It's very exciting and they're playing rugby the way it should be played. It's up to us, now, and the coaches, to merge it all together.

"It does take a little bit of time. As you said, time is of the essence so we'll try to get better every day. That's all we can do."

Donncha O'Callaghan aired his frustrations about the on-field delays exemplified during Munster's win over Zebre

Munster are striving for consistency and the same can be said of Friday's opponents Connacht, who sit bottom of the URC table after three successive defeats.

There were positive moments during the opening half-hour against Zebre, with all three tries coming off lineout drives, while Peter O’Mahony and Tadhg Beirne ripped the Zebre to shreds.

"Last week we identified the maul as an area we needed to work on," said Kilcoyne. "It was good to see that improvement. We needed to be quicker in our reload, in our shape as forwards. That was definitely better.

"With 'Leams' [Denis Leamy] then, and our D, we chatted about just needing to get harder and needing to get off the line in twos, not in ones. That was good at times but there's still way more growth.

"That's the exciting thing. When you have so much potential for growth, I suppose that's what we're working on every day.

"It was good to get the win [against Zebre]. I'm not going to sugarcoat it; obviously, it would have been lovely to get the bonus point. But we're happy with the win.

"We'll build towards next week and an interpro game with Connacht."

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