Clayton McMillan: 'I'm not thinking about running away but I can't do the job on my own'

Munster head coach Clayton McMillan. Pic: Tom O’Hanlon/Inpho

Clayton McMillan is hoping the Independent Governance and Organisational Review commissioned by Munster Rugby following the Roger Randle controversy will deliver the changes he believes he needs to continue as head coach beyond this season.

McMillan had last Thursday indicated his frustration at the decision, reached by mutual consent, not to proceed with Randle’s appointment as attack coach for next season. 

The Chiefs assistant had agreed to reunite with his former Super Rugby boss at Munster as the departing Mike Prendergast’s replacement and a two-year contract was announced to that end on April 15. 

Just 15 days later, following an outcry relating to historic rape allegations, about which the former New Zealand wing has always claimed his innocence, the hiring was abandoned with three former players resigning their independent positions on Munster Rugby’s Professional Games Committee and the province’s Commercial Advisory Group of stakeholders also losing members.

Tuesday morning’s confirmation of the independent review said the process will assess the organisation’s governance, leadership, culture and communications structures and to provide recommendations back to the Board. 

That was welcomed by Munster’s head coach when he faced the media a few hours later at the province’s High Performance Centre ahead of this Saturday night’s must-win URC clash with South Africa’s Lions at Thomond Park in the 18th and final round of the regular season.

The review will be conducted by independent consultancy The Governance Company and overseen by an external independent Chair, who will be appointed in the coming days.

In the wake of McMillan’s statements last week, the head coach will be at least one willing participant.

“I think I articulated last week that there's things that everybody will reflect on, including myself, and we need to be better. We know where we want to get to but we need to have a good look at ourselves from the top down and figure out how we all can contribute to making this place better.

“I said last week I welcome a review. And an independent one, where people will come in and give us some insight to perhaps what we already know, perhaps what we don't know, or blind spots. Whatever's going to make us better, I'm all for it.” 

While no timeline for the delivery of the review has been given, McMillan said he would “trust that process” as a means to move into the second and third years of his tenure as head coach. 

A premature departure at the end of this season seems less likely than it did six days ago.

“I trust that a review process is going to give everybody confidence that as an organisation, we're going to start heading in the right direction, collectively aligned.” 

Asked if his instincts would be to stay on as Munster head coach, McMillan replied: “Oh yeah, absolutely. Like I said last week, I don't easily run away from a fight and we're in a bit of a scrap at the moment. I came here for a reason, I didn't expect it to be an easy job.

“We've probably encountered a few speed bumps along the way that have been less than ideal but it hasn't scared me away. I'm not thinking about running away but I can't do the job on my own.

“I need us all to be on the same boat and I think a review process will give us some direction around how we bring that about.” 

Still to be resolved is Munster’s fresh search for Prendergast’s replacement, with McMillan suggesting promoting widely respected assistant attack and skill coach Mossy Lawler was one of the available options.

“Well, I've had a discussion with Mossy around, in terms of the attack portfolio, around lots of different scenarios. We've talked about it being a two-person job. We've talked about him potentially doing it by himself with support from other people that we already have in our coaching staff. And we haven't come to any hard and fast decisions around that.

“We know that there are people out there that are keen to come and fill a position if there's one there but it's important that we don't rush into anything.

“I know that there's kind of time pressures, but not at the expense of getting whatever our next decision is right.”