Omar Mouneimne has become the latest member of the Southern Kings squad to walk away from the relegated Super Rugby franchise.
Mouneimne, the Kings’ defence coach, has joined Alan Solomons on the Edinburgh coaching panel.
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The Scottish outfit on Wednesday confirmed the appointment of Mouneimne as assistant coach, taking charge of the club’s defence, kicking game and breakdown.
Mouneimne, who will check into Murrayfield in a fortnight (Tuesday, August 20), has been in the Scottish capital before.
“The sport has taken me to Edinburgh a number of times throughout my career and I’ve always left with a sense of awe for the history, the character, and the values of strength and courage, which I consider very important,” Mouneimne said.
“There is a tremendous amount of potential in Edinburgh.
“It’s the type of club I believe can go far. It will truly be an honour to be part of it.”
Mouneimne began his work as a professional defence coach in 2006, as a collision and breakdown specialist for the South African Sevens team.
He went on to coach South Africa Under-20, before joining Western Province and the Stormers sides in 2008, building their reputation as one of most feared defensive units in the Currie Cup and Super Rugby.
In 2010 he was appointed as defence coach for the Italian national team, contributing to the Azzurri’s growing status as a formidable and fearsome national side, before joining Solomons in South Africa at the Kings franchise.
Solomons said: “Omar [Mouneimne] is a world-class coach.
“He’s absolutely superb in his specialised field of defence and the breakdown, and is certainly the best I have ever worked with.
“He’s been my right-hand man and done a fantastic job during what was an extremely challenging Super Rugby season, just as he did in last season’s unbeaten Currie Cup run.
“He is a really good bloke and a great team man. There is a terrific synergy between us and I’m really looking forward to continuing our partnership alongside forwards coach Stevie Scott at Edinburgh Rugby.”
Edinburgh Managing Director, David Davies, added: “The appointment of Omar Mouneimne brings together what we believe is a well-balanced, passionate and experienced coaching team.
“Omar has a history of building defences that are combative and tough to beat, something which we want to become a key feature of this club in the years to come.”
O-Maar-Moenie-My-Na@#$-Nie, was about the only good thing of this year’s Super Rugby campaign for the Southern Kings.
Playing so much without ball possession, the Kings focussed on sound defensive structures…. and for the most part that worked… initially, till the sides began to work the Kings patterns out and then punished them accordingly.
Now defence is also out the door…literally…
All i can say is GREAT WORK SARU Referees, this great fairytale that was build in 2-3 years is destroyed now.
Referee mistakes cost the region a hell of a lot.
I will just remember the way the small guy was on the receiving end of calls.
NMMU was robbed twice against the Maties, they build from the worst team in Varsity Cup to be the best , almost
Kings lost their first relegation game with major referees blunders.
But it is over now.
I feel sick when i see how true Cheeky,s words were. How much talent is slurped up now. Courtesy of the 3 hard working years by the Kings franchise.
RIP Kings
I will miss you.
A great factory has closed down, i will watch with abated breath how the Golden Lions develop their OWN players. Remember how we moaned about all the non EP players that were brought in by the Kings? Well lets see if the same yardstick will be used for the o-so-holy Lions.
2 @ superBul:
Jy klink depressief bitter hieroor, ou BlommieBul.
Die Southern Kings het hul kans gehad, nie net gedurende die Promosie / Relegasie games nie, maar vir ‘n hele Super Rugby seisoen… waar hulle heel laaste geeindig het, met 1 minder Log punt as wat die swak Leeus in 2012 gekry het.
Dis maar hoe die lewe werk… die Southern Kings het die challenge van SARU aanvaar, het die reels van die seisoen en die teenwoordigheid van die Promosie / Relegasie uitspeelstelsel aanvaar voor die seisoen begin het.
Dat hulle effe beter gevaar het as die drae slae wat ons vir hulle voorspel het voor die seisoen, beteken nie hulle het beter as die Leeus gevaar nie of beteken ook nie hulle het goed of goed genoeg in die Super Rugby Toernooi as geheel gevaar nie!
Wat die verlaters aanbetref… hoe sê die gesegde, die rotte verlaat die sinkende skip… en dit wys jou net hoeveel die verlaters eintlik voel vir die hele Southern Kings gedagte – byna boggerol. Hulle wou net in Super Rugby wees, sodat hulle Super Rugby kon speel en raakgesien kon word om kontrakte te kan verkry vir 2014 en verder.
Wat my nou bekommer is dat die Bulls ‘n afgeslope traveller soos Waylon Murray koop… hy was by die Sharks, Lions, Southern Kings en nou by die Bulls, sy 4de Super Rugby Franchise (amper so erg soos Lionel Mapoe wat by sy 5de Super Rugby Franchise sal wees as hy Stormers toe gaan). Wat ‘n uiters kak kopie!
@ superBul:
@ grootblousmile:
Even as a staunch Lions supporter I feel that SARU and poor decisions have cost the Kings.
When one looks at EP, Border and SWD at all schoolboy levels as well as CC level they are truly REPRESENTATIVE of the demographics of their regions, and at all of the U13, U16 and U18 schoolboy Craven and Grant Khomo weeks performed remarkably well.
I’ve said MANY times before on this forum that what one sees on a Saturday afternoon is only 5% (the tip of the iceberg) of what goes on at a Union / franchise. It was therefore highly UNLIKELY that the Kings would ever have been able to field a side of predominantly LOCALLY DEVELOPED (EP) players in the SR campaign.
That they did include the number of local / former acadamy players is testament to the fact that the region has MASSIVE potential, AND SHOULD BE NEGLECTED BY SARU AT THEIR PERIL.
As for the Lions, there are many arguements re this forward pass, and that forward pass, and kock ons, and knock backwards, for both sides in the 2 game series.
Maybe the Lions did have the “rub of the green” slightly more than the Kings, but that’s how it goes in sports.
Was there a conspiracy? I doubt it. Incompetency? Possibly. A travesty? Depends on which side of the fence you sit.
I sincerely hope that the Kings get the financial backing to keep as many of their structures in place to enable them to go forward as a franchise.
I know that for the Lions it was a massively difficult task to survive this year “in the wilderness”.
I also hope that SARU see it in themselves to find a CC solution to the EP problem, like they (or their predecessor) did in the late 80’s for Natal.
That the Lions will have to do something drastic not to have to go through a similar promotion / relegation next season goes without saying.
I really fear for them in SR next year.
As for development, the Lions seem to develop VERY GOOD players on a continual basis. If they can’t do so with the potential player base that they have available, then they’re a bunch of prats. (OK, so we all know there are more than enough prats in certain positions there, but maybe not SO MANY at schools level.)
The problem that the Lions have is not one of developing players, but of keeping them.
The current crop of players that have just beaten the Kings had virtually no collective SR experience, but they did manage to hold their own in most aspects, so it appears as if Ackermann is doing a half decent job with the youngsters at his disposal.
The question is, will he have a) the budget, and b) the collective will of the Exco’ to find and bring in the players that he needs to launch a “successful” (IE not ending last on SA log) 2014 SR campaign.
I think I know the answer, but HOPE I’m wrong.
@ Scrumdown:
4
i really enjoy your views, i can also see you served the game , respect!!!!
In all honesty i dont care witch one of the Lions or Kings play s15 rugby. I will take the log points of anyone. LOL This is my biased view.
My rugby mind agree with you, the players i saw playing a little cameo appearance for the Kings are as good if not better than the current Blue Bulls team, no wonder the Bulls are buying them.
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