Mark Chisholm On Settling into the Munster Way of Life

Mark Chisholm is now a couple of months into his spell with the Red Army and admits he is settling quite well into the Munster way of life.

Thomond Park is an amazing venue, I remember playing with the Wallabies there in a mid-week match against Munster after playing England on the weekend.

It was a horrible night with gale-force winds, not far off what we played in recent weeks! But what sticks with you is the fans, the atmosphere, and you’re left thinking it would not be a bad place to play each week.

When I came over initially to Ireland in the summer it was a big culture shock and the style of rugby was a lot different to what I was used to. In saying that it was a style that I was very much looking forward to playing and the boys accepted me into the team straight away and made it easier.

I used to live on the beach in Bayonne and now I’m surrounded by land. I’m really enjoying the area where I live and the local community has been very accepting – it’s almost seemed too easy to settle in, actually! You prepare for something to not go so smoothly but so far the family have loved it.

I had 2 years left on my contract at Bayonne but the opportunity of playing for Munster is not something you easily pass up on.  I was delighted by that, and I was quite excited by the idea that they wanted me and could see a role for me. You take into account their past history and it makes your decision quite straightforward.

You can’t replace a bloke like Paul O’Connell and what he has done for Irish rugby. But I knew I was coming in to add to the squad, rather than replacing him and filling his shoes.

I’m just trying to add what I can along with the other guys and you’d like to think we can be as strong together.

We’re going well at the moment, I wouldn’t say we were delighted about some of the games we’ve played though. But I believe we are building something special and I think the whole squad can feel that as well.

I think some of those man-of-the-match awards should be shared around the rest of the pack, but CJ Stander doesn’t like to share! Joking aside, CJ is a big talent and the way he’s been performing week in and week out is amazing.

I was actually in awe of the standard of players in general when I first met up with Munster. I was quite concerned with the level of intensity at trainings and that I would not be able to keep up. The great thing about it is I love challenges and never complacent with the level I’m at.

There were names at Munster I’d not heard of before but they are going to be household names, I have no doubt. It’s exciting for me, it helps re-energise me to keep improving and I’ve got very high standards myself.

The match this weekend is going to be a big one for us. Coming off a great win in Belfast really gives us a boost going into Stade Francais. It’s a no brainier for us, if we want to stay alive in the Championship we have to win. The great thing is that we are in a good headspace at the moment to do that and it’s very exciting.

LIFE STYLE SPORTS IS THE OFFICIAL RETAIL PARTNER OF MUNSTER RUGBY. CLICK HERE TO SHOP OUR RANGE OF JERSEYS, TRAINING KIT AND ACCESSORIES.