'Edwin's been able to park it quite quickly - he's just been himself' says McMillan on Edogbo return

Edwin Edogbo has been himself since returning to Munster squad, says Clayton McMillan. Pic; Brian Lawless/PA

Munster head coach Clayton McMillan says Edwin Edogbo has "just been himself" since returning from international team duty with Ireland after the player was the subject of racial abuse following his test debut against Italy two weeks ago.

The South African claims Edogbo, 23, has been able to "park it quite quickly" and get back to focusing on his rugby with the lock "making strong progress".

"He’s come back [from the Ireland camp] and he’s been himself. At the time, there would have been a number of people who would have wrapped their arms around him and he would have been under no illusions with the amount of support that he has, not just in this team but around the country and beyond. I think he’s been able to park that quite quickly."

McMillan has chosen to place Edogbo on the bench for the Munster's URC clash with Zebre (Saturday at 5.30pm) but claims the lock can still have a big impact on the outcome of the game in Limerick.

"Edwin will of course have been quite disappointed to know that we opted to start Jean Cleyn and bring him off the bench but we know what sort of impact he can bring and I think that’s going to suit us well on the weekend.

Edogbo was among the four Munster players chosen by Andy Farrell to be a part of a refreshed and refurbished Ireland squad for the Six Nations, with Craig Casey and Jeremy Loughman among the other names.

McMillan says that representing your country now means there is a higher standard expected upon returning to the provincial fold.

"He’s [Edwin] in good shape but inevitably when guys come back from the national camp there’s a bit of a bounce in their step and they obviously get some pre-admissions around what coaches want to see from them when they go back to their provinces.

McMillan says he expects a higher standard from returning Irish internationals such as Jeremy Loughman, Craig Casey and Edwin Edogbo. Pic: Ben Brady/Inpho

"They have to understand they are an international player now so a higher standard is expected of them, and you have to work really hard to live up to that standard."

"I think if you ask Edwin he’ll probably tell you that there’s still improvement to be made around his conditioning but again we’ve got to be mindful of the journey he’s been on over the last couple of years. 

"He made some significant strides. He’s been well looked after in our four walls and with Ireland. The last thing we want to see is him reinjure himself. 

"More game time will bring increased conditioning and also just staying fit and available will also help. He’s making strong progress."

As for the collective, McMillan is under no illusions, his team need to improve their home form, with Munster having lost three of their last five encounters at Thomond Park - and winning only one of their last five overall.

"Every game is important and right from the beginning we really wanted to make our home games difficult for any visiting team. We haven’t quite met that mark, even though the home games we’ve lost have been by very small margins so it hasn’t been far away but, nevertheless, we want to be much better.

"The last three weeks have given us the opportunity to sharpen the sword in a few areas and we’re hopeful that will be evident in the way that we perform on the weekend. 

"If we’re good enough to get a result then we’re sure there will be a lot of positive spin-off from it that will serve us well for the rest of the season."

McMillan claims going back to basics has been the best approach to help Munster rediscover some form.

"We’ve put a lot of time into the basic fundamentals of the game. I think we’ve got good rugby players but often it's the basics at critical times that have let us down, whether that's a tackle, a carry, a clean, a kick. 

"A few negative moments like that and you struggle to get any flow into your game. That’s been one of our big focuses over the last three weeks, getting some balance and tempo back into our game. We know that when we get some of the basics right that we’ll get the sort of flow that this team operates best at. 

"I’m not sure the conditions are going to be that favourable on Saturday but we’ve worked hard in similar conditions over the last three weeks. So again the challenge is to put the hard work in training onto the pitch when it matters."

Munster's scrum woes have been reason for headache for McMillan this season but the acquisition of hooker Marnus van der Merwe for next season will surely help with that.

Munster signed the 29-year-old Springbok this week from Cheetahs on a two-year contract.

"It’s no secret that our scrum has been under pressure at times and we felt that the addition of an international quality hooker - big body, different sort of profile but more explosive barrell-chested, typical South African frame - would add something of value to the team. 

"When his name was put across our desk we were more than happy to jump at that opportunity to get him into our ranks."