IT’S NICE FOR the provincial coaches to be in the midst of a 10-week block of consecutive games in between international windows, but it comes with the need to manage their squads.

Munster head coach Clayton McMillan needs to rest his frontline Ireland contingent – Jack Crowley, Craig Casey, and Tadhg Beirne – in one of the province’s next two games.

This weekend, Munster are away to the Ospreys in the URC.

A week later, they host Leinster at Thomond Park. 

So there’s not really any decision to make.

“The internationals are going to have to have a break over the next couple of weeks,” said McMillan after his side’s Champions Cup win over Gloucester on Saturday.

“I’d probably get my head cut off if I decided that week was going to be the Leinster week, so there’ll be a few that will miss out next week.

“There’s a few guys that I think put their hand up today that will make their selection easy, but we select a team each week that we think has the capacity to go and win the game, and sometimes that’ll mean very little changes, sometimes that will mean more than you would normally see.

“So definitely in a 10-game stretch, fourth game in, some strategic thinking into who’s going to play next week.”

Having lost two games in a row against the Stormers in the URC and Bath in the Champions Cup, Munster were delighted to get back to winning ways against a second-string Gloucester team.

The performance wasn’t exactly what McMillan had hoped to see but a bonus-point win leaves them nicely positioned to push on for a Champions Cup knock-out place in January, when they visit Toulon and host Castres in their two remaining pool games.

Before then, they have a crucial URC run against the Ospreys, Leinster, and Ulster.

“There are some big fixtures ahead of us, but it’s really important that we just focus on the one that’s directly in front of us, and that’s the Ospreys,” said McMillan.

“They are a team that’s been steadily getting a few bodies back in and they’ve had some good results over the last couple of weeks. So they will have our full respect.

“That’s the challenge, to go away from home when you don’t have 35,000 people supporting you, and go over the ditch and perform and get a job done there. It won’t be easy, so just a full, honest week of preparation.”

McMillan is hopeful that by the time Munster are back in Champions Cup action, they will have improved their game across the board.

“I still think that just the fundamentals of the game are either what gives you access or puts you under pressure,” he said.

“Our set-piece has had good and average moments. One half of our line-out might function really well, the next we’ll miss a couple of opportunities where we should really be scoring. The scrum, the same thing.

“So, consistency in our set-piece and territory, playing in the right parts of the field, and then when you’ve earned the right to do that, being really clinical in your execution.

“So there is no magic pill, there’s no magic player, we’ve just got to stick in the grind, enjoy that, and commit each day to getting better, and we know that if we do that, it’ll manifest into better performances on the next day.”