Ala'alatoa happy to focus on the present as Munster scrum gathers momentum

BKT United Rugby Championship, Affidea Stadium, Belfast 2/1/2026

After three seasons at Leinster, Michael Ala’alatoa had to stop himself from heading straight to the away dressing room on his first visit to Thomond Park as a Munster player. Yet as the tighthead prop has settled into life at the southern province following his December 1 arrival on a short-term contract, so has the Samoan front-rower’s impact on the pitch grown.

Fresh from an encouraging scrum performance at Toulon last Sunday, the 34-year-old will be in the Munster number three jersey at home to Castres on Saturday evening for his sixth consecutive start and seventh straight appearance since exiting Clermont Auvergne frustrated by his lack of game time in the Top 14 this season following his move from Leinster in 2024.

“The first few weeks were a bit of a whirlwind, trying to get settled before Christmas,” Ala’alatoa told the Irish Examiner on the eve of the Champions Cup pool finale. “And not just for me, but for my family as well, just trying to organise a few moving parts with a young family (his children are five and three).

“It's challenging, but it was good at the same time, coming to a country that we're familiar with and there's some people that we know here in Munster too, that have made the transition pretty seamless. So all in all, it's been pretty good so far.” 

He had little to time to get his head around the move and even less time to prepare for his Munster debut, which came off the bench at Bath, five days after his arrival.

“There was talks end of October, beginning of November at that time. But I went away and played for Samoa for the World Cup qualifiers in November there, and nothing was really signed off on until after that.

“So although I knew I wanted to come here and they wanted me, I kind of had to wait for that to happen first and get through that. Once I got through that, things happened pretty quickly and I was over, I think it was a week later.

“I went back to France, packed my bags, left my family there. And then came here by myself. And I was straight in on December 1, the Monday, and I was playing that weekend. So that week was pretty hectic but it was probably a good way to find my feet and just get straight into it.” 

A third World Cup appearance next year for the land of his father, former Western Samoa international Vili, is still in the sights of the Australian-born former Crusader, and playing regularly is an excellent opportunity for Ala’alatoa to stay in the shop window but the move has also suited Munster perfectly.

His arrival on December 1 came as a godsend to Clayton McMillan, who was relying heavily on the services of veteran John Ryan and academy tighthead Ronan Foxe in the then-injury absence of Oli Jager and retirement of Stephen Archer.

The emergence of Conor Bartley from the ranks of AIL rugby has eased some of the burden, and the Young Munster man has impressed the former Leinster tighthead, but it is Ala’alatoa himself who has boosted the scrummaging unit most of all.

“Yeah, we're all pretty happy with how we went up front last week (against Toulon). But this week, Castres, we know that's a part of the game that they pride themselves on. Having played against them myself in France, their mindset is to find any way to go forward so we know what's coming tomorrow. But at the same time, we're excited by that and we're excited by the work that we've put into our scrum.

“(Munster scrum coach) Sean Cronin's done a really good job of leading that space and the front row boys have tried to lead that space as well in terms of getting our connections right and focusing on us. I think that's the main thing. What can we do to get ourselves to the level that we know we can get to and then we can compete with any team.

“So that's our main focus, whether we're playing Castres or anyone else.” 

Former Leinster hooker and team-mate Cronin has been one of the familiar faces whose help has made Ala’alatoa’s arrival so seamless. The prop has also reunited with former Leinster front-rowers Lee Barron and Michael Milne, now Munstermen.

“Someone that I had a lot of respect for having played with him and he definitely knows what he's talking about come scrum time,” he said of Cronin. “So he's not a bad person to have around here at Munster.” 

Such has been the speed of Ala’alatoa’s immersion into the Munster set-up that there has been little opportunity to tap into his vast multi-national experience of elite-level rugby but he is hoping to become more of a mentor to younger, less experienced front rowers before his contract is out next summer.

“I mean, that's a role I'd love to be in and if there's things that the boys ask me during training or after training, I'll give them feedback.

“But initially, it's been hard to, because I've been so focused on what I need to do because I've come straight in and started playing… So I'm still trying to get my head around everything in terms of the way we play.

“There's going to be a block in February when we stop playing and that'll be a good time for me to try and get these guys, try and help these guys a bit more when there's no games because there'll be a good opportunity to do it.

“I think there's great potential here. Ronan Foxe, he's obviously played a few games already and I'm sure that experience is going to pay dividends in the end once he looks back on it and reflects and understands the things that he needs to work on. I think it'll be good for him and for all the young guys in our team.

“We've got another guy, Conor Bartley, I've been really impressed by what he can do at scrum time, he's pretty destructive there when he's had his opportunities. And obviously, John Ryan, that's someone I knew of from my time at Leinster, he's always been strong up front.

“So having guys like him, Oli (Jager), it's a good balance at the moment of experience and young guys coming through. I think the scrum's definitely heading in the right direction.” 

How long Ala’alatoa remains a part of that scrum remains to be seen with his initial contract set at seven months from last December 1 and IRFU performance director David Humphrey having to sign off on all Non Irish Qualified front-row signings meaning a prolong stay may be problematic for the powers that be in their bid to develop young Irish props. The player himself is just happy to be where he is right now.

“To be honest, I haven't really thought that much about it because with where I was in France, I went through a hard period there not playing,” Ala’alatoa said. “The priority was just to get to Munster and just get my foot in the door and start playing here. To be honest, it's been hard to think past the week in, week out at the moment.

“There will come a time, probably in a couple of months, where I'll have to think about that. But for now, I'm just enjoying being here, being at Munster, being amongst the group and playing. So that's been my focus.”