Munster coach decides on selection policy change to save season

A big change of tack...

Munster have used 48 players in the first half of their season, an average of seven changes per game.

But McMillan is seemingly rowing back on this policy to build squad depth, and instead wants cohesion after four defeats in six.

“Clayton has a plan around that, and he spoke about it openly,” Mike Prendergast, senior coach at Munster, said. “I can say that he said it to the players this morning as well. It’s now where we’ll start seeing [the same] team on a more regular basis.

“Obviously there’s going to be changes here and there through injury, through form etc, but you would hope that would [be the case] because it’s probably the one thing you need above anything in your attack, is to be connected and to be cohesive.

“Sometimes in defence you can maybe get away with it, but in attack, you definitely can’t get away with it. It’s part of it, it’s not all of it, but it will help us when we see more of a settled team.”

Ireland trio Tadhg Beirne, Craig Casey and Jack Crowley will return ahead of Sunday’s Champions Cup trip to Toulon, and Prendergast is predicting a difficult task.

“Look, they have a very, very good home record,” the Limerick man said. “It’s eight from eight, I think, this year as well. I know from my own time in Top 14, coaching different clubs, going there, it was rare enough you got a win.

“They have the power up front. They’ve recruited very well over the last few years, a very, very good set-piece. They’re a big French team. Sometimes when you hear they’re a big French team, you just think of players just running over guys. They’re not. They can play ball.”