Why Munster believe their hardest summer ever will pay off

Munster skills coach Mossie Lawler said the main focus of the province's pre-season was "to make sure that we have a healthy ship". 

Mossie Lawler said new Munster head coach Clayton McMillan has "done his homework and he understands what our DNA is". Pic: ©INPHO/Ben Brady

First impressions count, particularly inside a professional sporting environment, and Clayton McMillan hit the sweet spot with Munster’s players and coaches when he tapped into the province’s DNA with his old school pre-season campaign.

The addition of hill running, boxing and swimming brought back memories of pre-seasons two decades ago for Munster skills and assistant attack coach Mossy Lawler, who believes the back to basics approach from the new head coach can make the current squad both more resilient and better able to deliver consistent performances across a campaign.