IT HAS BEEN A big week for Brian Gleeson and Edwin Edogbo already, and it’s not even game day yet.

Firstly, the young Munster forwards found out they will be travelling to Chicago with Andy Farrell’s Ireland for the highly anticipated clash with the All Blacks.

The uncapped Edogbo and Gleeson aren’t in the main Ireland squad, instead travelling as cover for Farrell’s frontliners, but it’s a recognition that the Irish coaching staff are excited about their talent.

Following swiftly after that good news was confirmation yesterday that Edogbo and Gleeson will both be starting for Munster against Leinster in tomorrow’s big inter-provincial URC game at Croke Park.

This powerful duo haven’t been first-choice players for Munster yet at this early stage in their careers, but it seems clear that they’re ready to firmly challenge for that status.

Munster fans have known all about Edogbo and Gleeson’s talent for years.

Thurles RFC and Rockwell College product Gleeson had two exceptional years with the Ireland U20s in 2023 and 2024, marking himself out as one of the best players in the world at that level.

Last season, his first as a professional with Munster, was understandably an up-and-down campaign for Gleeson as he learned the ropes. But the Tipperary man has started this campaign in eye-catchingly dynamic form, with his explosive carry and tackling matched by a slick edge in his passing and set-piece work.

Munster lock Edwin Edogbo. Tom O’Hanlon / INPHO Tom O’Hanlon / INPHO / INPHO

Now, he gets perhaps the biggest chance of his Munster career so far at number eight against Leinster, with longstanding incumbent Gavin Coombes moving to the bench.

“Brian had a really good outing in our first game against the Scarlets,” said Munster boss Clayton McMillan yesterday.

“Then we gave Gavin Coombes an opportunity, given he was the sort of senior figure and a really good performer for Munster in the past, and he [Gleeson] has come off the bench and added value each time he’s come on.

“And I think he’s really forced our hand in terms of his selection. A slightly different type of athlete to Gav. He certainly hasn’t got the experience, but he’s a little bit bigger and he’s got some dynamic features to his game that we think will be important this week.”

Speaking of dynamism, Edogbo offers plenty of that. The 22-year-old, who came through Cobh Pirates RFC, is a seriously big man. He combines his size and power with accurate technical work around the carry, tackle, and set-piece.

Despite being so young, Edogbo has been through more than his fair share of injury travails. He has ruptured both of his Achilles tendons, with last weekend’s impressive appearance off the bench being his first for Munster since December 2023.

Now, he swaps into the starting XV in place of Jean Kleyn for tomorrow’s game.

“Jean Kleyn’s played big minutes for us in the first three rounds and Ed came off the bench last week and he gave us the same sort of thing [as Gleeson], really, just a big body, a little bit of go-forward in the collision space,” said McMillan.

“He was good off the ground, he had a good work rate for the short time that he was on there, so I feel like it’s a good opportunity to get him out there and just see what he can do from the start.

“He probably hasn’t got the runs on the board to be able to go deep into the game, but to know that we can bring somebody of Jean Kleyn’s experience off the bench at some stage is probably a good mix for us this week.”

Munster head coach Clayton McMillan. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

Edogbo and Gleeson will join Ireland when they come into camp on Monday in Dublin before flying to Chicago on Tuesday.

Farrell’s squad will have nearly two weeks of preparation in Chicago in the build-up to the All Blacks game and McMillan hopes his two young guns will make a mark.

“I’m stoked for all of our guys that are going, and those two in particular,” said the Munster boss.

“It probably was a bit of a surprise to hear their names read out, but I would just expect that they go there with their eyes and ears wide open and, you know, really embrace the experience, learn from seasoned professionals and what it takes to operate at that level of the game.

“And then, I also would challenge them not to go there and sort of be content with just being there. You don’t want to be overbearing, but you also want to go there and stamp your mark and let people know that you don’t want to just make up the numbers.”

Munster loosehead prop Michael Milne, who joined from Munster at the end of last season, was among the unluckiest players to miss out on making the Ireland squad for the autumn Tests.

Milne won his first two Ireland caps off the bench on their summer tour of Georgia and Portugal, but has seen the uncapped Leinster loosehead Paddy McCarthy jump ahead of him for November.

McMillan feels tomorrow is a chance for Milne to start making his point.

“I thought he was one of our better performers last week,” said McMillan.

“He was good at scrum time and another one who is dynamic around the field.

“Every player across the board now needs to be multi-skilled and I think he’s one of those guys who’s got that.

“The challenge for him is there’ll be disappointment, as there will be for other people across the whole of Ireland that weren’t named.

“But that’s the selector’s prerogative and we get a royal opportunity against virtually an international side this week to go out and say, ‘Hey, look, I’m capable of operating at this level,’ so no better fixture.”

Michael Milne missed out on Ireland selection. Tom O’Hanlon / INPHO Tom O’Hanlon / INPHO / INPHO

Tadhg Beirne, Jack Crowley, Craig Casey, and Thomas Ahern make up the four-man Munster contingent in the main Ireland squad.

With Farrell having selected 34 players, it’s a relatively meagre representation for Munster, with the retirement of Ireland stalwarts Peter O’Mahony and Conor Murray reducing their numbers.

McMillan hopes to see the situation improve sooner rather than later, but knows the only way for his Munster men to earn Ireland spots is by doing their talking on the pitch.

“A lot of our guys are quite realistic around where they sit at the moment in the pecking order and, ultimately, if you push opinions to the side, selections to the side, the only thing that they can do is turn up each week and give the best of themselves,” said McMillan.

“Non-selection is clearly an indication that the coaches aren’t seeing what they need to see at the moment, so keep turning up and striving to be better. Let your performance speak for itself.

“I’ve come into this job eyes wide open. I was aware of the international talent that was leaving, the likes of Peter O’Mahony and those guys that were leaving, and the relatively young squad that was left here.

“So, I’m under no illusions as to what I was walking into, but what I’ve encountered is a highly motivated group of young men who I think have a huge ceiling that we’re nowhere near and what really excites me is where we can get to.

“And so part of my motivation for being here is around ensuring that we do change our fortunes around getting more players in the national side because there’s a lot of flow-on positives that come from that.

“But it won’t happen overnight. It only just comes through hard work, grit and determination and the [Leinster] selection on the weekend brings into stark reality the gulf that exists between Leinster and the other teams.

“But you won’t hear me complaining about it and you won’t hear me making excuses for anything. We’ve just got to roll up our sleeves and be better in a number of different areas to help bring that change to fruition.”