Munster Team Talk Thread - Beirne After Reading

Cookiemunster · 02-04-2026 03:36PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124358689#Comment_124358689

To add a bit of context to this.

Unavailable For Selection This Week:

Oli Jager (foot)

Conor Bartley (neck)

Fineen Wycherley (knee)

Jean Kleyn (ankle)

Diarmuid Barron (concussion)

Brian Gleeson (concussion)

Calvin Nash (concussion)

Mike Haley (groin)

https://www.munsterrugby.ie/preview/team-news-munster-side-to-face-exeter-chiefs-at-sandy-park/

Red Silurian · 02-04-2026 04:27PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124358680#Comment_124358680

No OH cover so Crowley will inevitably get targeted. Hanrahan leading us against Sharks...

Some curious decisions being made lately. Not sure if you'd call it desperation or trying something new

mahoney_j · 02-04-2026 04:44PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124358842#Comment_124358842

don’t know if Jj and butler are injured or just not picked but going by injury update it’s the latter….McMillan must have a good idea now of all the players and who he wants around …let’s be honest Jj was lucky we took him Back ,butler hasn’t shown much either but hasn’t really been given opportunities …both best leaving this summer and put some faith in Tom wood

Red Silurian · 02-04-2026 05:31PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124358877#Comment_124358877

I'm not at all saying he needs to pick player x or player y but not having any outhalf backup is not a good call

50HX · 02-04-2026 05:36PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124358979#Comment_124358979

We've done it in the past, I get his logic, he's gone for power off the bench in the latter half of the game.

Thems the calls of head coach...not a 6-2 fan myself

Jump_In_Jack · 02-04-2026 06:53PM

Perhaps Casey could play outhalf if Crowley were to come off early.

budhabob · 02-04-2026 08:35PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124358689#Comment_124358689

I think the LO will be an issue with Fineen absent.

legend99 · 02-04-2026 11:54PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124357672#Comment_124357672

The design process related to the redevelopment of Thomond Park extends back to 2003 with a request to examine significantly increasing the existing 11,091 capacity stadium. This study examined the options of developing within the existing boundaries of Thomond Park and expanding the site to the east into an area occupied by Limerick City Council and private residences.

From: https://www.riai.ie/awards-archive/awards-archive-gallery/thomond-park-redevelopment

So the Council certainly bent over backwards to help. As did Cork City Council to facilitate PuC when they screwed over the Munster Agricultural Society to get the Showgrounds land for the the redevelopment. But yet they didn't lift a finger to try to position Musgrave Park to be the one to be expanded at the time. And don't forget the old stand in Musgrave that was closed off....

Paddy_Mag · 03-04-2026 08:59AM

If he is out of contract then its time to cut him.

https://twitter.com/i/status/2039971717607518300

breezy1985 · 03-04-2026 09:08AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124359740#Comment_124359740

Swapping land on the edge of the city for relatively central land is not bending over backwards. It's a very common agreement between sports teams and councils or private companies.

There was uproar about moving Thomond Park to a different site in Limerick City so any talk of it being replaced by Musgrave is fantasy stuff as is any sort of perceived GAA bias.

PuC was in desperate need of redevelopment and Thomond Park was necessary too so the councils were right on both counts to support these needed and very popular redevelopments.

ionadnapóca · 03-04-2026 10:11AM

Anyone know much more about Roger Randle?

Any NIQ THP rumours?

https://www.the42.ie/mcmillan-munster-attack-7002587-Apr2026/

Cut & Paste parts of article below fyi

“But we do see it as a two-person job and so we’re actively in the market. We’ve had a lot of interest throughout the whole world, as you can appreciate, and we’ll bring the right person in.”

An obvious candidate is Chiefs attack coach Roger Randle, with whom McMillan worked closely with during his time in charge of the Kiwi club.

McMillan confirmed that Randle’s representative has contacted Munster about the job, but he said there have been many more contenders signalling their interest too.

“Yeah, his agent got in contact with us, yeah,” said McMillan of Randle.

“There’s been people back in New Zealand that I would have worked with before.

“There’s people that I would have had a good relationship with through Super Rugby that are in Australia that have put their names forward. There’s Kiwis that were coaching in the Premiership that no longer have jobs.

— - — - — - —

“It’s delicate at the moment because obviously the club is in, you know, there’s some challenges financially that’s been well documented, but none of the communication that I’ve had has said that that’s going to have a huge impact on our ability to be able to retain or recruit the talent we need to be competitive at the next level.

“Now, it’s not an empty bucket. We’re not going to be frivolous or anything like that, and the reality is we’re probably only looking for two or three players to round out our squad.

“We’ve got one NIQ spot to fill, with some of our ones that we have now moving on, Jean Kleyn and that. So, some decisions to make around that, but in that particular one, not rushing into it.

“So to answer the question, no, I don’t believe that the news that’s come out is going to have a huge impact on our ability to recruit and to retain quality players or staff.”

Even with Aungier expected to join from Connacht and academy prop Ronan Foxe being promoted to the senior squad this summer, it still feels like Munster could benefit from a top-class signing at tighthead prop ahead of next season.

— - — - — - —

Tipp1991 · 03-04-2026 10:13AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124360132#Comment_124360132

Hard to see a high level NIQ prop come in so close to the RWC. Can't think of any SA ones that are out of contract and the Kiwi ones won't want to leave before the RWC. I could see something like Ala'alatao being extended for next season and a high profile signing coming in after the RWC

Cookiemunster · 03-04-2026 10:42AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124360136#Comment_124360136

It doesn't need to be a high profile Kiwi or Saffer. An Argentinian or Georgian who can actually hold up the scrum would make a huge difference to the pack.

ionadnapóca · 03-04-2026 10:46AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124360136#Comment_124360136

Article says Ala'alatoa is going.

I thought ROG might steer the Argentinian prop Sclavi this way, but he's leaving LaR for Leicester.

Tipp1991 · 03-04-2026 12:53PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124360195#Comment_124360195

I think they'll go high profile in an attempt to get bums on seats as well as the upside of having a high quality player. That's just my own opinion.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124360204#Comment_124360204

Not to sound narky but why would ROG do anything to favour or aid Munster?

ShineyShiney · 03-04-2026 02:23PM

It's pretty nuts to think that Munster have 10 props in the squad. I would suggest that there is enough being spent here to arrange a reasonable dept chart of 7 senior props. I would start from who isn't adding value and remove them.

legend99 · 03-04-2026 07:33PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124360025#Comment_124360025

Musgrave Park had two back pitches. Thomond Park had one. Musgrave Park is within spitting distance of 800 publicly owned car parking spaces and is yards from the Cork South Ring Road. Thomond Park was not. It wasn't that Thomond was in desperate need of redevelopment - it was that one of the two stadiums needed to be redeveloped. And to say that Musgrave Park being selected as the stadium to have been expanded was fantasy stuff does not reflect the actual reality of the options. The truth is that the Branch at the time was more populated with senior bodies who were pro Limerick and that's well appreciated by anyone who is being honest and who was close to the situation at the time. And in many respects, fair to them - and the head honcho after whom it has been joked the stadium should have been renamed - but it hasn't done Munster any favours in the long-term.

And both the locals in Blackrock and the Munster Agricultural Society who got shafted by the CPO might disagree with you about the involvement of Cork City Council in the PuC development. A council who then, quite hilariously, subsequently got shafted by the same County Board they sorted out with a parcel of land, who failed to install the lights they were supposed to on the approaches to the stadium.