'Fresh, new voice' McMillan will hit the ground running at Munster, says Zebo

The Thomond Park legend says the new Reds boss has the support around him to succeed in Ireland.

WING MAN: Former Ireland rugby player Simon Zebo promoting Premier Sports at St Stephen's Green in Dublin on Thursday. Premier Sports is available as part of Sports Extra package on Sky, NOW and Virgin. Pic: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

Former Munster and Ireland star Simon Zebo has said he expects New Zealander Clayton McMillan to make a fast impact in his role as the province’s new head coach.

Following the departure of ex-England international Graham Rowntree by mutual agreement on October 29 of last year, then Head of Rugby Operations Ian Costello took charge of Munster on an interim basis. A prolonged search for Rowntree’s permanent replacement ensued, before McMillan was ultimately announced as the man to take the province forward on February 26.

It wasn’t until July of this year that his three-year contract with Munster began – due to his commitments with Super Rugby outfit, the Chiefs – but the former police officer has already overseen his new charges in a narrow pre-season defeat to Gloucester last weekend. Mike Prendergast (senior coach) and Denis Leamy (defence coach) are expected to have important roles to play in McMillan’s backroom team, and Zebo is optimistic the right blend is there for Munster to embark on a successful period over the next few years.

“It’s fantastic. I think himself and Prendy [Mike Prendergast] have hit the ground running. The players seem to be very, very happy and excited. A fresh, new voice has come into the set-up. I think McMillan will do a really, really good job. I think he’ll have a fast impact at Munster,” Zebo remarked yesterday at a Premier Sports event in Dublin.

“Ian Costello did really well filling in while there was no head coach there. He did what was needed at the time and he filled in really well. Now it’s time for a new coach to kick on and really take this young squad forward.

“With the help of Denis Leamy and Mike Prendergast, and the core group of players they have in Jack Crowley, Craig Casey and these guys. Alex Kendellen, [John] Hodnett. They have a real chance of success in the next three or four years, I think, with the squad they’re building and the coaching staff. If they can keep them intact, it will be a successful period for Munster.” 

Although Leo Cullen and Richie Murphy remain at the helm in Leinster and Ulster respectively, Connacht also have a new head coach for the 2025/26 season in the shape of Stuart Lancaster. After vacating his post at France's Racing 92 – for whom Zebo featured from 2018 to 2021 – last February, Stuart Lancaster was appointed as the successor to his fellow Englishman Pete Wilkins in Connacht four months later.

Lancaster previously left a sizeable impression on these shores during a seven-year stint (2016-2023) as senior coach of Leinster and is Zebo pleased to see the former English supremo back in the Irish system once again.

“It has been great to see him come back to Irish rugby. I can imagine he’ll have an immediate impact. I think he has already started really well in a pre-season game against Sale, putting up a score of 40 points.

“His vision of how to play rugby or his systems that he employs are very similar to that of Andy Farrell. It should be a seamless transition and I imagine Connacht will hit the ground running going into the season, as if there had been no coaching change.” Speaking of Andy Farrell, Cork native Zebo doesn’t envisage any teething problems within the Irish set-up as the Wigan man resumes his duties as Ireland head coach - following his sabbatical with the British & Irish Lions for an ultimately victorious Tour of Australia earlier this summer.

“I think Simon Easterby did a great job and was fully able to continue that momentum while Andy was away. Which is not an easy task to do because the head coach will always be your head coach, but in the same breath, Andy coming back will reignite that freshness that everybody has around the place,” Zebo added.

“He’ll have learnt some things from the other players from the other nations during the Lions tour that he might want to employ in Ireland. I think it’s an exciting period for Irish rugby, building to the next World Cup and no better man for the job or coaching ticket, or playing group to be able to pick from, to give it a crack.”