New-look back-three's high-ball ability key to selection as McMillan look for Páirc response

McMillan stressed the changes in a new-look back three as a key area of his selection.

Sat, 13 Dec, 2025 - 02:27

Simon Lewis

Having described his team’s heavy defeat at Bath as “bordering on embarrassing”, Clayton McMillan believes Munster can earn back some respect from their supporters at Supervalu Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Saturday.

The 40-14 defeat to the English champions has made the second Pool 2 clash against old rivals Gloucester a must-win fixture in Munster’s first competitive outing at the home of Cork GAA and the head coach pressed the reset button on Friday by making nine changes to side which started at The Rec.

Jack Crowley, Jean Kleyn, Michael Milne and Jack O’Donoghue all return after being unavailable last Saturday, there is a first start for new signing Michael Ala’alatoa while Mike Haley, Alex Nankivell, Ben O’Connor and Niall Scannell also come into the team.

Munster will face an injury-hit and much-changed Gloucester side to the one which socred a bonus-point home win over Castres last Sunday, and McMillan said he was pleased with the reaction shown from his squad in the wake of their poor start against Bath, who raced to a try bonus point in record time with a 28-0 lead after just 18 minutes.

"A really positive response,” McMillan said. “Clearly, we didn’t get anywhere near where we wanted to be in Bath last week, which was almost bordering on embarrassing for all of us.

"That embarrassment has been sitting in the pit of the stomach and there's been a good energy around the park and we know we're not going to get anything for free this weekend, so we need to see a response.”

McMillan stressed the changes in a new-look back three as a key area of his selection having installed Haley at full-back, switched Shane Daly from 15 to the right wing and former Cork hurling prodigy O’Connor, an All-Ireland winner at both minor and U20 levels, on the left wing with Diarmuid Kilgallen and Thaakir Abrahams jettisoned from the matchday 23.

“Probably the most significant changes have been in the back three, anticipating that the weather's not going to be great in Cork and the guys that have been given an opportunity have probably demonstrated a real strength around their movement in the backfield, high-ball catch, so that's why we've gone there."

Gloucester opened their Pool 2 account last Sunday with a 34-14 home win over a strong Castres side but have named a completely different starting line-up for the trip to Cork.

Aside from a slew of injuries, their first choice half-backs have stayed at home, which means no Irish return for former Leinster and Ireland fly-half Ross Byrne and the absence of Wales and British & Irish Lions scrum-half Tomos Williams. Dian Bleuler, who had an impressive loan spell at Munster last season, starts at loosehead prop for the visitors.

MUNSTER: Mike Haley; Shane Daly, Dan Kelly, Alex Nankivell, Ben O’Connor; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey; Michael Milne, Niall Scannell, Michael Ala’alatoa; Jean Kleyn, Tadhg Beirne - captain; Tom Ahern, Jack O’Donoghue, Gavin Coombes.

Replacements: Diarmuid Barron, Josh Wycherley, Conor Bartley, Edwin Edogbo, Ruadhán Quinn, Paddy Patterson, JJ Hanrahan, Tom Farrell.

GLOUCESTER: George Barton; Josh Hathaway, Will Knight, Max Knight, Rob Russell; Charlie Atkinson, Mike Austin; Dian Bleuler, Jack Innard, Jamal Ford-Robinson; Cam Jordan, Arthur Clark - captain; Josh Basham, Harry Taylor, Jack Clement.

Replacements: Kealan Freeman Price, Ciaran Knight, Afolabi Fasogbon, Danny Eite, Hugh Bokenham, Caio James, Rhys Price, Jack Cotgreave.

Referee: Ben Breakspear (Wales).