It’s a scenario that was always likely in the immediate wake of Peter O’Mahony and Conor Murray retiring. Even so, this week’s Irish squad announcement starkly illustrated the scale of the task facing Munster against Leinster at Croke Park on Saturday (kick-off 5.15pm) and their straight-talking new head coach Clayton McMillan.
Whereas Leo Cullen has included 17 of the 21 Leinster players summoned by Andy Farrell for the upcoming autumnal internationals, McMillan has been restricted to using just two of Munster’s modest quartet of current Irish squad members. Nor is McMillan playing down the challenge facing both himself and Munster in the short and longer term.
Craig Casey (hamstring) and Tom Ahern (HIA) have been sidelined from this marquee fixture, although both will travel with the rest of the Irish squad to Chicago next week ahead of the All Blacks clash in just over a fortnight.
At least Munster can welcome back their captai
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