New Munster coach McMillan spends the week in the province on flying visit from New Zealand

Clayton McMillan looks on during a Chiefs Super Rugby training session at Gallagher Chiefs Training Field. File picture: Michael Bradley/Getty Images

New Munster coach Clayton McMillan is spending the week in the province getting to know the people and places he will be working with for the next three years from this summer, but he will not be at their URC clash with Connacht at MacHale Park in Castlebar.

He is due to head back to New Zealand on Friday to resume his duties in charge of the Chiefs after a whirlwind visit to Ireland McMillan will arrive in the summer and take over from interim head coach Ian Costello following the shock departure last October of Graham Rowntree.

Munster skills coach Mossy Lawler said that McMillan, who was in charge of an All Blacks XV which defeated the Reds at Thomond Park in November, has been busy familiarising himself with the province.

“Clayton arrived on Sunday night. He’s here for a week. I suppose it’s just a meet-and-greet, see what the club is all about, see what we’re all about,” said Lawler. 

“At the moment it has all been small talk. We will have our own time when Monday and Tuesday die down a little bit. We will get out our own personal time with him to have conversations about what he sees or what we believe will be our next step.

“It’s a massive effort from the man in relation to coming up from New Zealand during the Super Rugby season. I suppose it just shows his intent in where he wants to go and what he wants to do with the place.” 

Lawler said that the team management have been concentrating for the early part of the week on the Connacht game but they will get an opportunity to chat to him in midweek.

“Our focus this week, particularly on a Monday and Tuesday, has been all Connacht. Our conversations will more or less happen later on in the evening and tomorrow when we have that little bit of down-time. So, maybe if you ask me that question next week, I’ll be able to answer you some more!” 

Lawler, who spent eight years with Connacht before joining his native province two years ago, said he has a good understanding of the significance of Saturday’s clash being played at the home of Mayo GAA.

“Look, you always try to dig into the emotional or the passionate side of things. Connacht is a real community club, with massive buy-in from their supporters all over the province.

“So, to get an opportunity to move the game away from the Sportsground, which is only holding 3-4,000 at the amount, to go to a stadium to play against Munster where you’re going to get the bones of 26,000 is a no-brainer, I think.

“Again, it buys into that community spirit, which they’re massive on. The occasion is just going to be huge for the province as a whole.”

The game will also pit Lawler with his cousin Colm ‘Cullie’ Tucker who will lead the Connacht management with head coach Pete Wilkins on sick leave. The return of Irish scrum-half Craig Casey adds another layer as Lawler is his uncle and Tucker a cousin.

“It won't be our first time so we've had a couple of inter-pros against each other since I moved on from Connacht but obviously myself and Cullie are first cousins, our children are best mates so we constantly see each other so there's no hiding from the fact that we're on the opposition but at the same time we both want to see each other do well,” added Lawler.

“Absolutely delighted for him in relation to his step up to taking over as head coach, I can't think of a better person to be able to go in there and run the show at such short notice but at the same time potentially long term. So look, it's always exciting in the family when we get to play against each other so yeah, really looking forward to it.”