Munster assistant coach Mossy Lawler wants side to strive for 'consistency of performance'

Assistant coach Mossy Lawler encapsulated the mission earlier this week when he said: “Last week's bonus point isn't going to mean anything to us unless we make sure we get a home win this week.”

Sat, 04 Oct, 2025 - 06:04

Simon Lewis

The Thomond Park faithful get their first look at Clayton McMillan’s Munster on Saturday evening with the new head coach demanding his players back up their bonus-point victory on the opening day of the URC campaign when Cardiff visit for round two.

Instilling consistency of performance from week to week has been one of the New Zealander’s chief objectives since arriving from the Chiefs. And following up last Saturday’s 34-21 win at Scarlets with an equally convincing outing on home soil against a side coming off their own bonus-point victory over the Lions is of paramount importance.

Assistant coach Mossy Lawler encapsulated the mission earlier this week when he said: “Last week's bonus point isn't going to mean anything to us unless we make sure we get a home win this week.”

Getting the new season up and running with the maximum points while collecting the only away win of the opening weekend was an ideal outcome from McMillan’s first URC experience but the Munster boss wants more.

“Getting back home is a different sort of excitement,” McMillan said. “We’ve got one under the belt, we’ve got another good team coming to our hometown and we want to put in a performance.

“Consistency of performance is a massive, I think I’ve probably harped on about that for a long time since I’ve arrived, and even before I arrived. There’s a talented rugby team here but we can’t be great one week and then pretty average the next and I think that’s sunk in with the guys.

“Now it’s about delivering. We’re going to have some off days at the office. We won’t be perfect but we have to learn quickly and if we can win a few on the road but make it really difficult for other teams to win when they come our backyard then that’s a good starting point.”

With a trip to Croke Park and the first meeting of the season with reigning champions Leinster fast approaching in two weeks, McMillan has some injury concerns with back-rowers Alex Kendellen and John Hodnett already ruled out of the visit to GAA HQ while scrum-half Craig Casey, full-back Mike Haley and wing Diarmuid Kilgallen are touch and go for the opening interpro of the campaign.

Youngsters Ben O’Connor, Ethan Coughlan and Ruadhan Quinn get the chance to press their claims for further involvement at 15, nine and seven respectively against Cardiff and McMillan insisted he was not looking beyond this round two encounter against Welsh opposition.

Asked about the Leinster date on October 18, McMillan said: "I have an awareness of it.

“We understand what our team, what would we like it to look like when we get to that stage. There's a few things that we have to manage... we've got to manage a few injuries. We've got to manage a couple of bodies that have been in the international space that can't play every game in the lead-up to that game.

“It's a bit of a balancing act. In that respect, yeah, we have got a little bit of an eye to... as we always would have... to two or three weeks in advance but our mindset and where our focus is what's right in front of us and for this week it's Cardiff and only Cardiff.”

MUNSTER: B O'Connor; S Daly, D Kelly, A Nankivell, T Abrahams; J Crowley, E Coughlan, J Loughman, N Scannell (c), O Jager; J Kleyn, F Wycherley; T Ahern, R Quinn, G Coombes.

Replacements: D Barron, J Wycherley, R Foxe, J O'Donoghue, B Gleeson, P Patterson, T Butler, S O'Brien.

CARDIFF: J Beetham; J Adams, H Millard, R Jennings, T Bowen; C Sheedy, J Mulder; D Southworth, L Belcher (c), J Sebastian; J McNally, T Williams; A Mann, D Thomas, A Lawrence

Replacements: D Hughes, R Barratt, S Wainwright, B Donnell, T Basham, A Davies, I Lloyd, S Emanuel

Referee: G Colby (South Africa)