‘The scope for him to improve even further at Munster is really exciting’

JOEY CARBERY’S DECISION to commit to Munster for a further two years is not only a major fillip for the province, but a reflection of how seamlessly the out-half has settled into life down south.

That’s the view of former Ireland hooker Bernard Jackman and Murray Kinsella, who discussed Carbery’s new Munster contract on this week’s episode of The42 Rugby Weekly.

Carbery has quickly become a Munster fan’s favourite. Source: Bryan Keane/INPHO

Although the Ireland international had a year left on his existing deal with Munster, Carbery this week put pen-to-paper on renewed terms which will see him remain at Thomond Park until June 2022.

Carbery has clearly benefited from consistent game time in the number 10 jersey following his summer switch from Leinster, emerging from the Champions Cup pool stages as the tournament’s top points scorer.

“Whether you agree or disagree with players being moved, I think if they make that move you’d like to see them actually leave a legacy there and buy into it and Joey has done that,” Jackman said.

“It’s great by Munster to put it to bed quite early. This time next year there would have been huge speculation, it could have been distracting. He’s just cut all that messing out and just actually committed to it.

“It’s a great bit of business from Munster.”

Carbery’s decision to commit his long-term future to Johann van Graan’s side shows how much he has bought into the club, and is also a testament to the South African head coach’s vision in Limerick.

“Extending it to June 2022 is a real statement of that,” Kinsella said. “I think initially when the move happened, I guess there was a bit of resistance, a bit of concern on his side.

“It was something totally out of the blue almost to him, he’d come through at Leinster and felt very much at home there and he probably went down with those doubts in his mind but they were quickly expelled.

“He settled in quickly, and the Munster fans, really importantly, took to him so quickly. There wasn’t any sense that ‘this guy needs to prove himself to us’. There was an immediate kind of love for him down there and he really has become a bit of hero to the fans in a short space of time, and deservedly so.

“He has performed really well and the exciting thing about that deal is he’s only 23. He has 18 Test caps, he’s been part of a Grand Slam, he’s beaten the All Blacks, he’s done some incredible things already in his career and he’s still only 23.

“The scope for him to improve even further is really exciting. It feels like there is still more to come. It’s really exciting for Munster.”