AS DEBUTS GO, Jack Aungier’s first Munster cap ticked a lot of boxes for head coach Clayton McMillan and his coaching team.
While young out-half Charlie O’Shea stole the headlines with his sensational two-try display as the province recorded an impressive win against the Bulls last weekend, Aungier was the squad’s ‘player of the day’ thanks to his role in locking down the Munster scrum.
Having missed Munster’s opening fixture against Glasgow – where the home side’s scrum started well before struggling in the second half – Aungier came straight into the starting team for the round two fixture in Limerick, delivering a solid 60-minute display as part of a strong front row effort.
“Yeah, it was a massive privilege,” says Aungier.
“Obviously, it was a great day out. It was unbelievable to see the energy the crowd brought and the support there behind us. Some of the performance from the young players like Charlie and Gordon Wood coming on, the impacts they were making, it just made a special day for me.”
Munster's debutant Jack Aungier with his family. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
The 27-year-old came through at Leinster and played five times for his home province before moving to Connacht in 2020, where he went on to make 100 appearances across six years out west.
“I suppose Munster have lost a few tightheads over the last few years and a lot of experience and there was an opportunity that came up here, and I thought to try and get back in, to start at tighthead for Munster and try and get back into the Irish setup, this was a good path for me.
“Change is always good as well. I really enjoyed my time in Connacht. I thought it was a good time to try something else.
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“There’s good tightheads in Connacht,” he adds.
“Sam [Illo] did very well, Finlay [Bealham] is doing well, Fiachna [Barrett] is there and an opportunity, as I said earlier, Munster lost a few of those [tightheads]; Stephen Archer, John Ryan, Oli, these kind of guys.
“I thought it was a good chance to come here and try to be the starting tighthead and get myself back into the Irish mix that way.”
Aungier won his first Ireland cap on the 2025 summer tour, and hopes to push his way back into that conversation over the coming months.
“Big time. I think for me when I play regularly I’m at my best, when I’m in and out of the team that’s when it’s a bit tougher for me to get going again, so to get regular gametime is a big factor.”
Speaking this week, Clayton McMillan acknowledged Munster’s scrum had been “problematic” at times last season.
Aungier, along with versatile tighthead Kieran Brookes and hooker Marnus van der Merwe, were brought in to help turn that setpiece into an area of strength.
Aungier was capped for Ireland in 2025. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
“Yeah, that was also a big part of it. I saw they were under pressure obviously last year at times and Jimmy [Duffy] has come in and done a great job and Oli Jager is still with us.
“They put a huge amount of time into it and they’re trying to get young players and players like me to lead the scrum and I’ve enjoyed that part of it.
“There’s a pretty young front row here and back five so to have the opportunity to be a leader in that now at this stage of my career is pretty exciting.”
Jager (31) was forced to retire last season due to concussion issues, but continues to lend his expertise around the building.
“He’s been brilliant,” Aungier says.
“I actually played Ireland As with him two years ago, we were the tightheads, so I would have known him from that.
“He’s kind of working in the background with a lot of younger lads, but also has clips for me, I got up to his office and we go through a few scrums from training or the weekend, he’s giving me drills which we do in the gym on the single-man scrum machine, which he does once a week with the lads.
“We do a lot of banded work, he’s showing me neck, back, core stuff. He’s learned so much from his career with the Crusaders and stuff that he’s able to pass on, little small things and tips, it’s been brilliant for me and the rest of the front row.”
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Aungier's Munster aim: 'Be the starting tighthead and get myself back into the Irish mix'
AS DEBUTS GO, Jack Aungier’s first Munster cap ticked a lot of boxes for head coach Clayton McMillan and his coaching team.
While young out-half Charlie O’Shea stole the headlines with his sensational two-try display as the province recorded an impressive win against the Bulls last weekend, Aungier was the squad’s ‘player of the day’ thanks to his role in locking down the Munster scrum.
Having missed Munster’s opening fixture against Glasgow – where the home side’s scrum started well before struggling in the second half – Aungier came straight into the starting team for the round two fixture in Limerick, delivering a solid 60-minute display as part of a strong front row effort.
“Yeah, it was a massive privilege,” says Aungier.
“Obviously, it was a great day out. It was unbelievable to see the energy the crowd brought and the support there behind us. Some of the performance from the young players like Charlie and Gordon Wood coming on, the impacts they were making, it just made a special day for me.”
The 27-year-old came through at Leinster and played five times for his home province before moving to Connacht in 2020, where he went on to make 100 appearances across six years out west.
“I suppose Munster have lost a few tightheads over the last few years and a lot of experience and there was an opportunity that came up here, and I thought to try and get back in, to start at tighthead for Munster and try and get back into the Irish setup, this was a good path for me.
“There’s good tightheads in Connacht,” he adds.
“Sam [Illo] did very well, Finlay [Bealham] is doing well, Fiachna [Barrett] is there and an opportunity, as I said earlier, Munster lost a few of those [tightheads]; Stephen Archer, John Ryan, Oli, these kind of guys.
“I thought it was a good chance to come here and try to be the starting tighthead and get myself back into the Irish mix that way.”
Aungier won his first Ireland cap on the 2025 summer tour, and hopes to push his way back into that conversation over the coming months.
“Big time. I think for me when I play regularly I’m at my best, when I’m in and out of the team that’s when it’s a bit tougher for me to get going again, so to get regular gametime is a big factor.”
Speaking this week, Clayton McMillan acknowledged Munster’s scrum had been “problematic” at times last season.
Aungier, along with versatile tighthead Kieran Brookes and hooker Marnus van der Merwe, were brought in to help turn that setpiece into an area of strength.
“Yeah, that was also a big part of it. I saw they were under pressure obviously last year at times and Jimmy [Duffy] has come in and done a great job and Oli Jager is still with us.
“They put a huge amount of time into it and they’re trying to get young players and players like me to lead the scrum and I’ve enjoyed that part of it.
“There’s a pretty young front row here and back five so to have the opportunity to be a leader in that now at this stage of my career is pretty exciting.”
Jager (31) was forced to retire last season due to concussion issues, but continues to lend his expertise around the building.
“He’s been brilliant,” Aungier says.
“I actually played Ireland As with him two years ago, we were the tightheads, so I would have known him from that.
“He’s kind of working in the background with a lot of younger lads, but also has clips for me, I got up to his office and we go through a few scrums from training or the weekend, he’s giving me drills which we do in the gym on the single-man scrum machine, which he does once a week with the lads.
“We do a lot of banded work, he’s showing me neck, back, core stuff. He’s learned so much from his career with the Crusaders and stuff that he’s able to pass on, little small things and tips, it’s been brilliant for me and the rest of the front row.”
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Ambition Jack Aungier Munster Rugby