McMillan rotates but wants to bed in collisions culture

The New Zealander has enjoyed back-to-back URC wins but knows a repeat of the performance against Cardiff will not cut it against Edinburgh

Max Clein, Lee Barron and Gavin Coombes in action during Munster training in UL. Pic: Morgan Treacy, Inpho

Clayton McMillan knows last February’s 34-28 URC home loss to Edinburgh is still “etched pretty deep” in the memories of all inside the Munster set-up who were involved but the new head coach has more recent issues to resolve as the Scotsmen return to Cork on Friday (7:45pm).

The New Zealander has enjoyed back-to-back URC wins in his maiden campaign but he knows a repeat of the performance that saw his side hang on for a 23-20 victory against Cardiff last Saturday will not cut it against an Edinburgh side with similarly abrasive capabilities.

Cardiff dominated the physical battle in the opening 40 minutes and it needed a late penalty and drop goal from Jack Crowley to give Munster the cushion to absorb a late rally from the visitors and claim victory at Thomond Park.

Senior coach Mike Prendergast said the repeated loss of collisions and the access that handed to Cardiff had been the chief area of focus in last Monday’s game review and head coach McMillan doubled down after naming a team showing 10 changes from the one which started in Limerick for Friday’s run out at Virgin Media Park.

Munster head coach Clayton McMillan. Pic: Morgan Treacy, Inpho

“That was an area where we got exposed and it’s one of those areas we want to be consistent in,” McMillan said on Thursday. “I think the first part of the process was just addressing that, so it featured heavily in our review and while we haven’t been able to do a whole lot of contact this week to address it, I think it starts with the top six inches.

“We have to be mentally there and want and have a willingness to be in collisions and dominate those collisions. If you mind’s there then your body will generally follow.”

The head coach added: “I guess you could argue that we lost a little bit of momentum last week. We had a good positive performance against the Scarlets and there weren't too many people patting themselves on the back in our environment around the manner in which we played (against Cardiff) and that's important to us.

"We're obviously delighted to get the win against Cardiff and they made us work bloody hard for it but we want to be a more consistent team than what we showed the last night.

"This week represents another opportunity to get back out and play the rugby we want to."

Asked how that consistency will be achieved, McMillan explained: “Day to day behaviours. What you see on the week is just the byproduct of everything that you come and do during the week. So we look for a lot of responsibility from our leaders, including myself, to create a culture where we put standards and behaviours at the forefront of everything we do.

“When we get consistency in those hopefully results will follow. At this level of competition you’re not going to win every game but you want to go down fighting when you don’t.

“I guess last week was probably an example of that. We will still see that as growth, that we weren’t at our best but we found a way and that in itself was a positive even though internally we want to be playing better.” 

McMillan said the changes he made to the starting line-up on Thursday were part of a continuing rotation policy rather than as a reaction to last weekend.

Fly-half Crowley has been rested under IRFU player management rules while hooker Niall Scannell sustained a lacerated hand against Cardiff, wing Shane Daly a concussion in the same game and blindside flanker Tom Ahern a head knock in training on Wednesday.

There will be first appearances of the season for outside centre and Munster Player of the Year Tom Farrell, wings Calvin Nash and Andrew Smith, and loosehead prop Michael Milne.

Diarmuid Barron replaces Scannell as hooker and captain, full-back Mike Haley returns from a thigh issue, while a fit again JJ Hanrahan replaces Crowley and Jack O’Donoghue comes in for Ahern.

Seán O’Brien joins Farrell in midfield while Paddy Patterson replaces Ethan Coughlan at nine in the continued absence of Craig Casey.

Second row Edwin Edogbo is primed for his first appearance in 22 months after a serious Achilles injury and also among the replacements is veteran prop John Ryan, following an elbow problem.

Casey’s comeback from a thigh/hamstring issue he sustained in round one has been pushed out from an initial assessment of one to two weeks to one to three weeks, placing his availability for Saturday week’s trip to Leinster in doubt. McMillan said: "I would certainly love him to play next week but we won’t take any risks. He still has strong ambitions of featuring for Ireland in the game against the All Blacks (November 1) and if playing him next week puts him at risk, then we won’t do that.” 

Edinburgh return to Cork having had their round two home clash against Ulster last weekend postponed due to Storm Amy, with head coach Sean Everitt including British and Irish Lions Duhan van der Merwe, Darcy Graham, Ewan Ashman and Pierre Schoeman as well as former Munster out-half Ben Healy at No.10.

MUNSTER: M Haley; C Nash, T Farrell, S O’Brien, A Smith; JJ Hanrahan, P Patterson; M Milne, D Barron - captain, O Jager; J Kleyn, F Wycherley; J O’Donoghue, R Quinn, G Coombes.

Replacements: L Barron, J Wycherley, J Ryan, E Edogbo, B Gleeson, E Coughlan, T Butler, D Kelly.

EDINBURGH: W Goosen; D Graham, P O’Conor, J Lang, D van der Merwe; B Healy, B Vellacott; P Schoeman, E Ashman, D Rae; M Sykes, S Skinner; L McConnell, D Richardson, M Bradbury – captain.

Replacements: P Harrison, B Venter, P Hill, G Young, F Douglas, B Muncaster, C Shiel, H Paterson 

Referee: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)