McMillan Has Munster Shaping Up Well Through ‘Very Positive Pre-Season’

McMillan and his fellow coaches were able to get two different teams out on the Kingsholm pitch against Gloucester last week, giving game-time to 31 different players in what was a late 14-12 defeat.

The New Zealander admitted it is ‘always disappointing to lose, but there were a hell of a lot more positive stuff in this game’, following their first pre-season match which saw backs Andrew Smith and Shane Daly score tries.

Munster will play reigning Gallagher Premiership champions Bath at Virgin Media Park on Friday (kick-off 7pm – tickets are available to buy here), and the province’s fan base are hoping to get an early glimpse of the likely game-plan they will adopt this year.

Asked about the direction he wants to go in terms of style of play, McMillan said: “That’s a process that we are still working through. I think there is an identity that all rugby teams have that determine how we like to play the game.

“And again, from the outside looking in, I have always seen Munster as a team that, especially when they have enjoyed huge success, is one that is built around a solid platform up front and a team that is tough and who will scrap for everything.

“We certainly want to be a representation of those things and the modern game dictates that you have to have balance in your game. So, what we are navigating through as a coaching group is what that actually looks like.

“It’s being ambitious when we have earned the right to do it but also being smart enough to know when we need to go to a tactical kicking game and be a little bit more conservative in the way that we approach things.

“I think we are making really good strides in that regard. We had Mike Prendergast and Denis Leamy have the very fortunate opportunity to go away and coach with Ireland on the most recent summer series. It meant that they came back into the coaching mix over the last couple of weeks.

“So naturally it is going to take us a little bit of time to get some rhythm, but there is nothing to suggest that we aren’t going to be a highly functioning unit, so it has been good.”

Taking the reins from interim boss Ian Costello, McMillan’s hopes of hitting the ground running have certainly been helped by Prendergast, who is now in a senior coach role, and defence coach Leamy having both been part of the Munster coaching set-up since 2022.

There is continuity too with Mossy Lawler’s input as skills and assistant attack coach, while Alex Codling will be the province’s forwards coach – this time on a permanent basis – following the conclusion of the Ireland Women’s Rugby World Cup campaign.

There is added New Zealand influence with Brad Mayo on board as Munster’s head of athletic performance, and Martyn Vercoe replacing the long-serving Niall O’Donovan as team manager. Ahead of his move to Limerick, McMillan spoke to a few trusted sources about what might lie ahead.

Former Munster head coach Rob Penney, current Australia boss Joe Schmidt, and ex-Munster centres Jason Holland and Rua Tipoki all offered their advice, while McMillan did get experience Thomond Park last November when he coached the All Blacks XV against Munster.

Returning to coach the home side on a three-year contract was too good an offer to turn down, as the former police offer explains: “When I left here after the All Black XV game, having played Munster, I left the Castletroy Hotel up the road and probably thought that would be the last time I’d ever see that place.

“Now I live probably 500 metres up the road! The world moves in mysterious ways and over the summer I got a call to see if I was interested in looking at the job and had to think deep and hard about it.

“I was still on contract in New Zealand Rugby, pretty happy with the team (the Chiefs) that I was at, that I was successful in. But there was an opportunity to come here to grow myself as a coach, to give an experience to my family.

“Also having witnessed the passion of the (Munster) supporters and the talent on the side, it ultimately ended up being the reason why I decided to come.”

Meanwhile, the Gloucester game saw Daly, who played for the first time since damaging his hamstring last February, Jeremy Loughman, Ethan Coughlan, Oli Jager, and Lee Barron all make successful returns from injury.

With Munster’s URC opener away to the Scarlets coming up on Saturday, September 27, there in an increase in training load for Jean Kleyn (knee), Diarmuid Barron (shoulder), Edwin Edogbo (back), and Roman Salanoa (knee) who are beginning to reintegrate to team training.

Eight Munster players were in action last weekend in the first round of the Bank of Ireland Munster Senior Challenge Cup. They included senior squad members Conor Bartley and Fionn Gibbons, who both lined out for Young Munster.

Academy duo Dylan Hicks and Darragh McSweeney made their debuts for Cork Constitution and Nenagh Ormond respectively. Defending champions Nenagh will host Cork Con at the quarter-final stage this Saturday.

Looking forward to the challenge that Bath with pose in Cork on Friday night, McMillan added: “I don’t think we’re the finished product but if the perspiration and mental aspiration is there, then we’re in pretty good stead.

“We’ve lost some significant experience (with players that retired and left in the summer), but I’m really encouraged that our guys see real opportunity to step forward from the shadows and into the light to showcase the ability that they have.

“There’s a lot of encouraging signs. A big part of it is having our best players available and it’s been a very positive pre-season, touch wood, that we haven’t broken anybody.”