'We'll need to put a big X on his back': Munster boss warns of threat from Connacht out-half
Munster head coach Clayton McMillian worked with Connacht out-half Josh Ioane for two seasons at the Chiefs. Pic: INPHO/James Crombie
Clayton McMillan ticked a major box in his tenure as Munster head coach by bringing down Leinster at Croke Park, yet securing victory in Saturday night’s follow-up will be just as impressive a feat with Connacht visiting Thomond Park.
Not only is the New Zealander’s objective of backing up one big performance with another under scrutiny in this second URC derby of the season but the quality of a Connacht side under new management themselves and eager to prove a point after back-to-back defeats poses dangers of their own.
McMillan is all too aware of the attacking threat posed by Stuart Lancaster’s side having coached their fly-half Josh Ioane at Super Rugby’s Chiefs for two seasons before the Aucklander left Hamilton for Galway two summers ago. He is also on a mission to turn Thomond Park and Virgin Media Park into fortresses and that was not in evidence on his first competitive trips to both in recent weeks.
Munster may have enjoyed a winning start to life under McMillan but last Saturday’s 31-14 victory over Leinster was by far the most convincing of their four wins. It needed a Jack Crowley drop goal to make the difference against Cardiff in a 23-20 win in round two at the Limerick venue while a bullet was dodged in Cork a week later when Edinburgh’s discipline imploded and the home side scraped a 20-19 victory.
With all the potential pitfalls of backing up a hugely meaningful win last time out, this round-five derby fixture makes for a fascinating watch and litmus test of McMillan’s early progress. Yet given the impressive nature of their Dublin success, the head coach is confident home turf can count for something seven days later when Connacht come calling.
“I would like to think so. We want to make Thomond Park and Virgin Media Park really, really tough places to come and play,” McMillan said.
“You're always aware there's an edge about you when you go in behind the enemy lines, but we need other people to feel that same way when they come here and we can only do that through our performances.
“We're aware that there will be a lot of eyes and a lot of interest on how the team bounces back. I think it's really hard to get to that same emotional level every week. It's a tough thing to do. That's why you celebrate the teams that can do that consistently, and if you even happen to be a little bit short in that emotional stuff, then everything else has to be pinpoint accurate.
“So, at the weekend, for us, we will hopefully be at that same emotional level. Time will tell. But if we aren't, then everything else has to be on point; our scrum, our line-out, our tactical kicking game, our handling, our discipline.
“It's when you don't have the edge or the emotion and you're inaccurate, then you get yourself in trouble.”
Having a try-scoring, running fly-half in the opposition’s driving seat is also a cause for concern from a Munster point of view with the 30-year-old, one-cap All Black Ioane capable of undermining the best laid of plans.
“He's immensely talented with ball in hand,” McMillan said of his former charge. “His decision to leave New Zealand, I think, was a good one because he's just sitting in behind some other guys who are just slightly ahead, but it was no reflection on him as a rugby player. I was pleased for him to come up here and do well.
“He's one of those guys who's just got fast hands, fast feet and always challenging the line, and if you just go to sleep for a second, it'll hurt you. So yeah, we'll need to put a big X on his back or front.”
The counter for Munster supporters is the quality of the team McMillan is able to field this weekend, given the absence of so many key players to either Ireland duty or injury. The loss of captain Tadhg Beirne, half-backs Craig Casey and Jack Crowley, centre Tom Farrell and lock/flanker Tom Ahern, as well as injury victims Diarmuid Barron, Edwin Edogbo, Brian Gleeson and Andrew Smith following last Saturday’s victory, looks to be offset somewhat by the promotions of strong bench contributors from seven days earlier of Alex Nankivell, JJ Hanrahan, Lee Barron, Gavin Coombes and Jean Kleyn as well as the seasonal debuts of back-rower John Hodnett and Diarmuid Kilgallen.
After a turn on the wing as Smith’s replacement at Croke Park, Nankivell returns to midfield at inside centre as new signing Dan Kelly moves from number 12 to the outside-centre berth he occupied in the first two rounds in a reunited partnership.
It is a pairing McMillan is more than comfortable with, despite Farrell’s absence.
“It's a combination that's worked really well. All the centres have performed outstandingly on both sides of the ball, and it's probably reflective of the sort of competition that we want right across our squad, you know, three or four deep with everybody performing and challenging for an opportunity to put a jersey on the weekend and those guys have been right at the forefront. They've been outstanding.”
S Daly; D Kilgallen, D Kelly, A Nankivell, T Abrahams; JJ Hanrahan, E Coughlan; M Milne, L Barron, J Ryan; J Kleyn, F Wycherley; J O’Donoghue - captain, J Hodnett, G Coombes.
N Scannell, J Loughman, R Foxe, E O’Connell, R Quinn, J O’Riordan, T Butler, S McCarthy.
H West; B Ralston, H Gavin, C Forde, F Treacy; J Ioane, B Murphy; J Duggan, D Heffernan, S Illo; J Joyce, D Murray; J Murphy, P Boyle - captain, S Jansen.
D Tierney-Martin, P Dooley, F Barrett, N Murray, D O’Connor, M Devine, S Naughton, S O'Brien.
Andrea Piardi (Italy)
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