Clayton McMillan: 'We need to roll up our sleeves and do what we can to stick in the fight'

Munster head coach Clayton McMillan. Pic: Shaun Roy/Sportsfile

Clayton McMillan believes strong performances from his team can have a significant impact on Munster Rugby’s struggling economic situation but he also implored the whole organisation as a collective to roll up their sleeves in order to “stick in the fight”.

The head coach was talking to media from Cape Town, South Africa ahead of Saturday’s second leg of their URC South African tour against the Bulls in Pretoria. 

He has named a much-changed team to the one which started last weekend’s 45-0 hammering by the Sharks in Durban, including returns for Ireland half-backs Jack Crowley and Craig Casey, as well as prop Jeremy Loughman following their post-Six Nations breaks.

Yet his team announcement on Thursday afternoon came two days after Munster Rugby staff were told of a Voluntary Redundancy Programme being initiated by the province in the wake of economic pressures and McMillan accepted team performances had to be taken into account to help the situation.

Players and coaches will not be affected by any redundancies but McMillan said: “There's absolutely no doubt that, you know, if we win rugby games and we put ourselves in contention to play finals and stuff at home, that that's going to have a significant impact.

“So, we have been working hard and we'll continue to work hard to do what we can to help in that regard.

“But there was also some recognition on the call the other day that there's a few other parts of the business that we can be better at, so as a collective we just need to roll up our sleeves and do what we can to stick in the fight.” 

McMillan conceded it had been a concerning week to be a part of a struggling organisation.

“Look, at a human level, it's less than ideal. In no industry do you want to see you get to a couple of days ago, and there's a bit of work to be done behind the scenes to navigate our way through that process.

“To my understanding, no decisions have been made around any roles at this stage, it's literally that the opportunity is there for some that may see taking that avenue to be a good one for them.

“It's not ideal, but it's a reminder that In rugby, just like any other business, despite everybody's hard work, it's challenging times out there, and clearly we're going through some at the moment.” 

McMillan’s squad is facing challenges on the field having recorded just four wins in their last 12 matches since the end of November, failing to qualify for the Champions Cup knockout rounds and dropping down to the second-tier Challenge Cup Round of 16, with an away trip to Exeter Chiefs awaiting them a week on Saturday.

Before that there is a URC play-off place to secure with Munster currently in sixth place with five rounds remaining in the race to secure a top-eight finish by the end of the regular season to qualify for the knockout rounds and secure Champions Cup rugby for next season.

Making eight changes from the starting team beaten 45-0 at Kings Park last time out, the head coach has in the process beefed up his replacements with a six-two split between forwards and backs on the bench for the Loftus Versfeld clash.

With Loughman back following a calf injury sustained on Ireland duty, and Irish debutant Edwin Edogbo named as replacement lock, there are two-back-row forwards being kept in reserve in John Hodnett and Gavin Coombes with Tom Ahern, switched from the second row, Alex Kendellen and Brian Gleeson the starting back row.

“We didn't quite get the impact from the bench that we wanted (against the Sharks), clearly, but there's no shortage of effort over the 80 minutes.

“We just weren't good enough in the few opportunities that presented to ourselves, and they were particularly good at taking these.

“So, some huge learnings and some tough lessons there for us. And with the bench; when you travel, you are limited to a smaller squad than what you have when you have the luxury of playing at home.

“And this week we've gone with the same 6-2 split. There's probably more experience on the bench. So we're hoping that the likes of Brian Gleeson will be able to bring that youthful energy, a little bit of explosiveness and some carry that when the going gets really tough at altitude in the sort of second half, later part of the game, experience will count for a lot.” 

MUNSTER (v Bulls): Ben O’Connor; Calvin Nash, Dan Kelly, Alex Nankivell, Sean O’Brien; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey; Michael Milne, Diarmuid Barron, Michael Ala’alatoa; Jean Kleyn, Fineen Wycherley; Tom Ahern; Alex Kendellen, Brian Gleeson.

Replacements: Niall Scannell, Jeremy Loughman, John Ryan, Edwin Edogbo, Gavin Coombes, Paddy Patterson, JJ Hanrahan, John Hodnett.