Munster's McMillan wary of festive Leinster backlash

Head coach Clayton McMillan during Munster training at UL this week. Pic: Morgan Treacy/Inpho

Having poked the Leinster bear in his first derby meeting as Munster boss, Clayton McMillan is expecting a venomous response when the URC champions visit a sold-out Thomond Park on Saturday night for the rematch.

McMillan’s first season at the helm since leaving New Zealand’s Chiefs got the ideal boost in mid-October when Munster continued their unbeaten start to the 2025-26 campaign with a statement 31-14 victory over their fiercest rivals at Croke Park. That was URC round four, and a third defeat for Leinster in the opening weeks of their title defence.

Leo Cullen’s men have not exactly roared into blistering form since but nor have they lost and the near first-choice but undercooked line-up the head coach fielded at Croker that day has plenty of minutes under its belt as they prepare for the trip down the M7 to Limerick and a plan to avenge their derby woes.

For his part, McMillan did not get ahead of himself after that victory and as defeats to the Stormers at the end of November on home soil in the URC and then a thumping at English champions Bath the following Saturday proved, the building process he has undertaken is only at the foundation stage. Saturday’s round eight return fixture represents another litmus test for his squad and there is expectation of a Leinster backlash at Thomond Park.

“It's a few sleeps ago now, that game, but we enjoyed that occasion,” McMillan said. “We had a few things go well for us that day and I'm sure that they felt a long way short of what they're capable of.

“We know them being proud Leinster men, it would have hurt them. It won't be a surprise to us to know that they're coming here with a bit of venom in everything that they do.” As a head coach used to provincial rivalries in his native New Zealand, the former Chiefs boss knows the fine margins involved in securing bragging rights in such fixtures.

“I think every week you need to put in an 80-minute performance to get the desired outcome. The margins between pretty much every team in the competition is pretty small and you only need to be marginally off in your game to open the door for quality teams to run over the top of you.

“We’re well-aware of Leinster's depth and the quality of players that they have, so those margins become even smaller… the game against quality teams is always one of small margins.

“You can't fall asleep. You need to be prepared to take the game to the opposition and we did a good job of that last time. But we all need to take a step forward to get a similar outcome.

“That wasn't the perfect game by any stretch of the imagination. Each week we need to keep getting better and that's what we're best striving to do.” 

Yet McMillan also recognises the benefits which accrued to his players from that bonus-point win on Dublin’s northside, which he outlined this week as the basis for what is needed all over again this time around.

“Just a little bit of belief that we are a good team when we string some stuff together and that all the work that we've done through the pre-season and in the games leading up were evidence, I guess, that hard work and just confidence in the game that we want to play can serve you well.

“It gets you to the start line and then you've got to go out and execute. So, I think it sort of just put a line in the sand and said, ‘Yep, okay we've got talent here.’ 

“We've got the top teams. If we continue to work hard and just be honest around where we're at and keep giving the best of ourselves, then any team will find the recipe for success if they can get that on a consistent basis.” 

Nor was the 51-year-old prepared to envisage a first Munster victory on home soil against Leinster in eight years this weekend.

“We'd obviously be happy to win but you can't really entertain what that feeling is going to be like or what it will represent until it actually happens.

“All of our focus really is process-driven. We know that the last time we played them was a long time ago. They've developed their game in certain areas and we feel like we've developed ours, although both teams will admit that it’s been a little bit clunky and not as fluid as we would like.

“So, the wins are earned. All our guys need to focus on the job that we need to do to put ourselves in a position to actually do that. I'm sure if it happens, people would think it would be a good Christmas, but certainly we’re not going to get ahead of ourselves.”