The only way is up for Munster… surely? Last season was a rough one for the province, on and off the field, and nobody can credibly argue otherwise.
Hope springs eternal that the club can turn a corner ahead of the new campaign, but head coach Clayton McMillan, who is facing into his second season at the helm, will need to negotiate some challenging terrain.
Hope springs eternal but Munster head coach Clayton McMillan (right) and assistant coach Jared Payne could be in for another long, hard season
WHAT’S THE STORY?
Jeez, where do you start? Before we turn the page, it would be helpful to go back and review the dumpster fire that was last season.
It all began so brightly for McMillan, the highly-rated New Zealander who arrived from the Chiefs. The former policeman and Bay of Plenty No 8 was hailed as a shrewd appointment by Munster’s high command. A tough, no-nonsense character who also understood the value of creating a strong culture in the building.
And McMillan’s tenure got off to a flier. Munster won their first five URC games on the bounce, a strong run which featured a stunning 31-14 demolition of Leinster at Croke Park. A statement performance. All was seemingly well in Munster HQ.
The mood music shifted dramatically after the autumn international break, however. There were a couple of dicey performances in December, including a 40-14 drubbing at the hands of Johann van Graan’s rampant Bath side.
The wheels began to fall off in the new year. A meek 28-3 loss in Ulster on January 2 sounded a few alarm bells.
The entire operation soon went into something of a freefall. Rarely a week went by without some fresh controversy.
The thumping loss away to Exeter was a humiliating low point for Munster last season
By the end of January, Munster had been dumped out of the Champions Cup at the pool stage. To add insult to injury, McMillan’s side were blown off the field by Exeter in a one-sided Challenge Cup last-16 tie. The Reds shipped 45 unanswered points against the Sharks in Durban in March with fears they might miss out on the URC play-offs altogether.
The grim results were playing out against a background of a voluntary redundancy scheme across the wider organisation. Attack coach Mike Prendergast and forwards guru Alex Codling both confirmed they would be taking up new posts with Bath and Toulon in the summer. Then we had the whole Roger Randle debacle.
McMillan, to his credit, fronted up throughout all the upheaval. Munster steadied the ship enough to finish fifth in the league standings, securing Champions Cup qualification in the process, which was something.
Fittingly, they exited the URC play-offs at the quarter-final stage thanks to a 45-14 hammering by the Bulls in Pretoria.
Suffice to say, everyone within the corridors of the HPC in Limerick is glad to see the back of that campaign.
McMillan is back on board and the Kiwi will be hoping that Munster, having bottomed out at the tail-end of last season, can begin to plot a course to calmer waters in the months ahead.
Losing Ireland international out-half Jack Crowley until the new year is a huge blow
Once again, McMillan will look to Tadhg Beirne to lead from the front, but losing Jack Crowley, another talisman who drives standards, until January is something of a disaster. The Ireland out-half is resting up with a worrying and rare vascular issue in his leg and Crowley has been earmarked for a return to action in early 2027.
Munster will miss him. Worryingly, JJ Hanrahan and Tom Wood have also picked up injuries in pre-season, meaning academy rookie Charlie O’Shea could end up steering the ship at No10 in the opening rounds of the URC.
It’s not ideal.
Tom Farrell and Edwin Edogbo, who both broke into the Ireland ranks last season, are both currently recovering from injuries and will not be seen for a few months yet.
It is all painting a pretty grim picture and, while it never too wise to listen too closely to the jungle drums, the word coming out of the south is not encouraging.
Insiders talk of tension throughout the camp, filtering all the way down from boardroom to academy and this week’s victory for Connacht Eagles over Munster A, featuring the pick of the next generation of Munster talent, further deepened the gloom around UL.
Tadgh Beirne’s central role with Ireland in World Cup year could limit his time with Munster
TRANSFER ACTIVITY
Munster’s squad is in dire need of some blockbuster signings but a World Cup season and financial issues have led to some fairly prudent activity on the recruitment front.
The province desperately needed some frontrow reinforcements, especially at tighthead prop, with John Ryan and Oli Jager announcing their retirements. Roman Salanoa, who has been plagued with injuries since he made the big switch from Leinster in 2021, has also been released.
Kieran Brookes, a well-travelled prop who was good enough to earn 16 England caps earlier in his career, has been bussed in from Perpignan while Jack Aungier has joined from Connacht. Neither are marquee names but McMillan will be hoping they can shore up a scrum which has looked vulnerable for quite some time.
South African hooker Marnus van der Merwe joins from the Scarlets and is a good operator while Will Harrison, when he recovers from a knee injury, is a versatile and tidy outside back.
On the coaching front, Jared Payne has come on board to bring some fresh ideas to the attack while Jimmy Duffy has been recruited to run the forwards. Two highly-rated operators with fresh enthusiasm, which is exactly what this Munster squad needs at the moment.
New signing Kieran Brookes (left) with Munster stalwart backrow Gavin Coombes
WHO NEEDS A BIG SEASON?
Gavin Coombes has been on the scene for quite some time and the Skibbereen-born No8 is well regarded by the fanbase, but this feels like a make-or-break campaign for the big backrower.
Coombes has struggled to catch Andy Farrell’s eye, winning a measly three international caps since his Ireland debut in 2021, and there is a sense that Brian Gleeson could usurp him as first-choice No8 this season.
The Tipperary native was a superstar at Ireland U20 level and Gleeson was making a big impression before an elbow injury derailed his progress in October of last year.
Coombes is a big unit and brings real ballast around the pitch but his approach can be a tad one dimensional. Gleeson, 22, offers real dynamism and Coombes will be feeling the heat this time around.
It feels like the Ireland ship has sailed, with the likes of Sean Jansen and Bryn Ward moving ahead in the pecking order, and Coombes is facing a real battle to stay relevant at Munster, too.
Exciting new recruit Ben O’Donovan has the potential to push Craig Casey hard at scrum-half
ONE TO WATCH
Ben O’Donovan was a low-key signing earlier this year, but the New Zealand-born scrum-half could be a key performer for the province.
Born in Dublin, O’Donovan was brought up in Christchurch and represented the New Zealand U20s side in 2024 on the back of his impressive performances for Canterbury.
The 21-year-old is Irish qualified and has signed a long-term deal until 2028. O’Donovan has only made a handful of senior appearances for Munster but he already looks like a quality addition.
The province have leaned heavily on Craig Casey in recent years. O’Donovan will offer quality back-up and could potentially move ahead of the Limerick native as first-choice down the line.
Munster need young guns like Brian Gleeson (left) and Ronan Foxe to step up this season
PREDICTIONS
This could be another challenging season. McMillan will be without Crowley’s services for the first nine rounds of the URC and at least two Champions Cup pool matches.
Munster are simply a different team when their conductor-in-chief is on the pitch. They will also miss the impact of Farrell and Edwin Edogbo in the early stages while Beirne’s minutes are likely to be managed by the IRFU, with a view to keeping him fresh for next year’s World Cup.
Glasgow, the Bulls, Ulster, Leinster and the Sharks provide the opposition in the opening five rounds of the URC. Few easy points on offer there. If Munster struggle for points early doors, they could be in for another slog.
Concerns about the scrum and lineout persist while the backline, which has no shortage of skilful footballers, looks short of pace and finishing ability. The best case scenario if some of the young hopefuls such as Gleeson, Ruadhan Quinn, Evan O’Connell and Tom Wood kick on and drive Munster to a credible challenge in the URC.
On the Champions Cup front, McMillan’s side still look a weight class below Leinster and the French heavyweights. Earning a home quarter-final for the cash-strapped club would a minor victory.
INS AND OUTS
IN: Kieran Brookes (Perpignan), Jack Aungier (Connacht), Marcus van der Merwe (Scarlets), Will Harrison (Kintetsu Liners).
OUT: Jean Kleyn (Gloucester), Thaakir Abrahams (Bulls), Fionn Gibbons (Ealing Trailfinders), John Ryan and Niall Scannell (retirement). Conor Bartley, Roman Salanoa, Paddy Patterson and Andrew Smith (released).
