Munster coach on SA squads: 'It's not fair'

SPOTLIGHT: Munster forwards coach Graham Rowntree is expecting the Bulls and Lions to be different beasts at home.

The Irish province will leave Ireland on Sunday for the rearranged United Rugby Championship Round Six and Seven fixtures. They will face the Bulls on Saturday, March 12 in Pretoria and then the Lions on Saturday, March 19 in Johannesburg.

The Bulls have won only four of their 10 games so far, while the Lions are sitting with a record of just two wins.

Munster are currently in fourth spot with seven wins from 10 games.

Despite their upcoming opponents being at the opposite end of the table, Rowntree knows it will be a hard challenge on the Highveld.

"I’ve no doubt that at home they’ll be good against us," Rowntree told RTÉ.

"They’ll be waiting for us. There will be some great places for our guys to go and challenge themselves, playing rugby against some top teams in some top stadiums in a great country.

"It’s a country I’ve been to more than any other country on the planet. It’s a great rugby country.

"[Our players will] know what to expect from the analysis we have shown them. Physicality is undeniable with South African teams.

"You know what’s coming. But it’s another thing trying to deal with it. It will be a real test of the basics of our game.

"Watch the Lions games and see the size of their squad. It’s not fair. It’s not fair."

He added: "They’re huge men, and that’s a real strength of their game, the Lions. So that’s what we’ve got to deal with in the Lions game.

"The Bulls, physical breakdown. They’ve a physical back row. Big men running at you very quickly on the Highveld.

"It’s a bit of a different challenge from what we’re normally used to but it’s a challenge we’ll be ready for.

"But we just train for it. We’ve done it before.

"There’ll be nothing alien to these lads that they’ve never experienced before. It’s just something that they’re maybe not used to week in and week out."

Source: RTÉ