Clayton McMillan: 'Being consistent in our performance will keep us in the fight in every game'

CONSISTENCY:Munster head coach Clayton McMillan is looking for consistency and accuracy when the take on Toulon.  Picture: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

After a troubling performance that exposed the distance Munster still have to travel to establish themselves as genuine trophy contenders, Clayton McMillan faces possibly the toughest challenge of his short tenure to deliver a rebound victory this Sunday at Champions Cup pool rivals Toulon.

Considering the paucity of quality in Munster’s play eight days ago in succumbing to a 28-3 URC derby defeat at Ulster, the prospect of delivering a first home defeat of the season to the French Top 14 heavyweights at their Stade Felix Mayol fortress appears in the realms of fantasy. From a worst performance of the McMillan era so far to a famous European away day in the space of nine days? It hardly seems likely, yet a reinforced Munster side will depart for the south of France on Saturday morning, backed by two charter plane loads of loyal supporters, with the focus remaining on firmly on themselves rather that the numerous threats awaiting them at the Mayol the following afternoon (1pm).

For if they are to achieve the remarkable this weekend, and in doing so repeat the heroics at the same ground two years ago in coming from 10-0 down to win 28-19, it will be on the back of an improvement that barely seemed possible as they trudged, tryless and outclassed, off the Ravenhill turf last time out.

Asked to pinpoint the areas of improvement required to transform Munster’s shortcomings in Belfast to meeting the challenges Toulon will pose by the Mediterranean nine days later, head coach McMillan said: “It’s an interesting question. Our focus this week has been around ourselves. We respect what Toulon are going to bring to the table but we really need to just tidy up our own backyard.

“The real positives for me have been around our set piece. I think our scrum has been improving. Our lineout has made some significant improvement and I think over the last while we're starting to see some reward with that.

“It's just little momentary lapses or a lack of physicality at a crucial moment that we're paying a heavy price for. So it's just being consistent in our performance will keep us in the fight in every game.

“Toulon, they’re a physical side and they’re electric. They’ve got a good dose of Pacific flavour in there and they’ve just got a real balance and you can’t afford to expect them to just play a narrow-minded game. They can play through you, they can play around you and they can play a kicking game and they can play a loose game if they want to.

“So, that's the challenge when you play teams of that calibre. You're going to get nothing for free and you have to work hard and be very accurate in everything you do.” 

For senior coach Mike Prendergast, the frustrations of recent weeks, starting back to blowing a 21-6 half-time lead at home to the Stormers in what became a 21-27 Thomond Park loss on November 29, are the inconsistencies within every performance. It has been a trend which has seen Munster implode inside 18 minutes, 28-0 down, at Bath, enjoy some dominance against Leinster before losing an arm-wrestle 13-8 and a total falling off at Ulster last time out.

The man in charge of Munster’s attack is getting tired of seeing his side play in only fleeting moments across an 80-minute period. He is hoping the change of strategy from heavy selection rotation to a settled matchday 23, Munster’s strongest available, will contribute to his search for attacking cohesion and consistency.

“I think against the Stormers for probably 50 minutes. Parts of it against Leinster. Parts of it against Leinster in Croke Park. Parts of it in Ospreys, but you're probably hearing me saying ‘parts of it’. And we need to put that all together,” Prendergast said this week.

“And it's definitely not making excuses. We absolutely need to be better, but there's a couple of things. I suppose consistency is one, but also just our cohesiveness. And that's probably an aspect.

“I know Clayton has mentioned it about building our squad. So, there's kind of a plan behind that as well. So, there has been changes, and I'm sure you're well aware of, of eight, nine, 10 players most weeks.

“And we're trying to bring that cohesiveness together. And some of that has to do with…I suppose you look at the last couple of years, we've had a few injuries. We've had guys back now that probably haven’t had the game time that needed. And we're trying to get that into them as well.

“But in saying that, we've got to get our contacts right, which helps our ruck, which helps our flow and our attack as well. And I suppose that sharpness, and in terms of decision making, and that accuracy has been, hasn't been what we're probably used to for the last three years. That cohesion piece.” Eight of this Sunday’s starters and four of the replacements named on Friday featured for Munster in that bonus-point pool victory at Toulon two years ago and McMillan, who has been blasting his players at training this week with the sort of ambient sound they can expect in France, admitted that experience had played into his selection.

“Yeah, look, in selecting this side you certainly lean heavily towards experience, but we'd also intended to name somewhere close to our strongest side.

“I think Jean Kleyn picked up a little niggle and that's unfortunately ruled him out. Oli Jager was available for selection, we just wanted to probably just give him one more full week of contact training given the length of time that he's been out, just to be given the best opportunity.

“And there might have been one or two others, but somewhere close to our strongest side, it was always the intention to do that. With the exception of those three or four people we’re somewhere close to it.” TOULON: M Domon ; G Drean, J-I Brex, J Sinzelle, M Ferte; T Albornoz, B White; J-B Gros, T Baubigny, K Sinckler; C Ollivon - captain, D Ribbans; L Ludlam, E Abadie, Z Mercer Replacements: J Toevalu, L Ametlla, D Priso, B Alainu'uese, C Mezou, J Coulon, P Garbisi, S Tuicuvu MUNSTER: S Daly; C Nash, T Farrell, A Nankivell, B O’Connor; J Crowley, C Casey; J Loughman, D Barron, M Ala’alatoa; E Edogbo, F Wycherley; T Beirne - captain, J O’Donoghue, G Coombes.

Replacements: N Scannell, M Milne, J Ryan, T Ahern, B Gleeson, P Patterson, JJ Hanrahan, D Kelly.

Referee: Karl Dickson (England)