Munster head coach Clayton McMillan acknowledges ‘challenging times’ on and off pitch – The Irish Times

Munster head coach Clayton McMillan has acknowledged that securing qualification for next season’s Champions Cup has taken on added significance in light of the province’s current financial challenges. A voluntary redundancy scheme was outlined to Munster staff earlier this week, with the province seeking to address budgetary pressures. However, it is understood that senior playing … Read more

Cian Tracey: Munster in crisis – and the pressure is on to secure Champions Cup spot for next season

Coaches and players are feeling the heat as they seek to avoid a hit to the coffers of cash-strapped province amid staff redundancies Munster players react at full-time in their United Rugby Championship defeat to the Sharks in Durban. Photo: Shaun Roy/Sportsfile At the end of a very difficult week for Munster – on and … Read more

Cian Tracey: Clayton McMillan’s ‘line in the sand’ moment fades as Munster face grim Challenge Cup reality

Munster’s Jack Crowley kicks a conversion during the Investec Champions Cup match against Castres Olympique at Thomond Park; he missed three out of four Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile For the pockets of Munster fans dotted around Barack Obama Plaza late on Saturday night, the final nail in the coffin at the end of a dark … Read more

Bernard Jackman: Leinster keep winning but know they have to go up a level – Munster have lost their old aura

Edwin Edogbo is a super talent and I would be shocked if he doesn’t play for Ireland in this Six Nations Edwin Edogbo, one of Munster’s best performers against Castres, after his side’s defeat at Thomond Park in Limerick. Photo: Seb Daly/Sportsfile Today’s European action was important on many fronts. It was the last round … Read more

What’s going on with Leinster’s defence? – The Irish Times

At risk of employing the old ‘If my aunty had wheels, she’d be a bike’ argument, here goes nothing… Had Reda Wardi and Antoine Hastoy not got in each other’s way on Saturday night, if Simeli Daunivucu’s offload had not been spilled, if the same man had run through Sam Prendergast instead of trying to … Read more

Leinster can look to Rory McIlroy, Munster need reinforcements – The Irish Times

The saying “what’s for you won’t pass you by” is one that Rory McIlroy might have struggled to invest in based on his experiences in his 17 years competing at the Masters, right until the 73rd hole on a monumental Sunday evening in Georgia. In life, in sport and in a very practical way in … Read more

Who is Clayton McMillan and what can Munster fans expect from new coach? – The Irish Times

The news that Clayton McMillan is heading to Munster later this year caused as much surprise in New Zealand as it obviously did in Ireland, but for vastly different reasons. Whereas the prevailing view in Ireland appears to be a collective wondering about who on Earth this guy actually is, the surprise in New Zealand … Read more