MUNSTER ARE SET to sign Leinster loosehead Michael Milne and hooker Lee Barron ahead of next season.
The 42 understands that Munster are close to confirming deals to bring in both Leinster players ahead of the 2025/26 campaign in what would be a boost to the southern province’s front row stocks.
25-year-old Offaly man Milne earned his Leinster debut in 2019 and has made 47 senior appearances for the province. He played for the Ireland U20s in 2019 and trained with Andy Farrell’s senior Ireland squad during the 2023 Six Nations but has yet to be capped.
Milne has had to fight hard for minutes at loosehead in Leinster and despite veteran prop Cian Healy indicating that this could be his last season, they can still call on Ireland frontliner Andrew Porter, the fast-improving 22-year-old Jack Boyle, and promising 21-year-old Paddy McCarthy.
Munster have held interest in Milne for some time and are understood to have tried to sign him before, but are now close to confirming a deal for him to join them in the summer of 2025.
Munster currently have Jeremy Loughman, Josh Wycherley, Dave Kilcoyne, and Mark Donnelly as loosehead options in their senior squad, while South African prop Dian Bleuler has come in on a short-term deal with all four of Loughman, Kilcoyne, Wycherely, Donnelly out injured.
The 23-year-old Barron made his Leinster debut in 2021 and has gained 22 senior appearances for the province, impressing with his mobility and skills around the pitch.
At 6ft 3ins, Barron’s frame is similar to Leinster first-choice hooker Dan Sheehan’s and Munster clearly believe he has the talent to push on over the coming seasons.
Leinster have other strong options at hooker in Sheehan, fellow Ireland international Rónan Kelleher, and John McKee. 21-year-old academy hooker Gus McCarthy was recently capped twice by Farrell’s Ireland after a meteoric rise when Leinster’s four senior hookers were injured.
McCarthy has quickly jumped up Leinster’s pecking order and is being preferred to Barron and McKee as the bench hooker for Champions Cup games, with Sheehan still sidelined by a knee injury.
Barron obviously hopes to kick on as a first-choice hooker and Munster seemingly offer him a better chance of achieving that.
He will have to compete with current frontline hookers Niall Scannell and Diarmuid Barron, while Scott Buckley and Eoghan Clarke are also in Munster’s senior squad.
Munster have been keen to strengthen their front-row options for several years now, with Milne and Barron seen as the kind of explosive forwards who could help them to kick on. The southern province have also discussed their desire to create greater depth and competition for places in their squad.
Ireland’s coaches will hope that a move to Munster would see Milne and Barron starting more games and pushing themselves into the mix for an international debut.
The rise of Bulls and Lions is incredible. Leinster can’t send weak teams to South Africa unless they want the same result as last year.
@Con Cussed: what rise?
@Con Cussed: The days of Leinster sending b teams anywhere and winning by 20 or 30 points is over.
@Sean: the 48-0 half time drubbling of a stacked Scottish international side and URC half time “record” score by the mightly lions. That rise!!
@Sean: You should delete one of your profiles Shawn, for you’re only confusing yourself. Plus, lads like me don’t have the patience to be trying to educate you once, never mind twice.
@Ray Ridge: What this is my only account what about your 36 accounts ????
@Stuart: Not a rise at all they will all be beating when they play in ireland what u doing on here anyway its an irish app
@Ray Ridge: Stop spreading lies ray
@Con Cussed: haha clearly! They have yet to reach the URC final
@Shawn: I’ve blown your cover Sean!!
@Ray Ridge: no idea who that guy is so stop lieing
@Ray Ridge: watching the munster match omg im here in bed while there playing in that weather
@Sean: for insider information so I can take all your expert views/knoweledge back to my countrymen on my SA app.
@Sean: Your intellect and grammar kinda gave the game away, Shawn!!
@Shawn: it’s not that bad Sean. Bit of drizzle.
@Stuart: Na im good
@Ray Ridge: ??????????
@Ray Ridge: lol anyone who is negitive about munster tonight auto mutted
@Shawn: Won’t be too many I’d say, given that it’s behind the pay wall.
@Ray Ridge: Ya i notice that but i do pay so funny they do that for munster not the other irish sides today
@Shawn: for last number of years, since at least start of URC, 60-70% of Ulster games have been behind a paywall, while all of Leinster Munster and Connachts games home and away have been free to air. So for one Munster game behind a paywall, I don’t think Munster fans can complain.
@Kingshu: should really have rte or tg4 air Ulster games and not just for interpros? If the IRFU represents the 4 provinces should be shown free to air in the south or BBC where the entire island has access free to air
@Con Cussed: Leinster go through sa the week after the 6 nations end. It will be very much a weaker squad going down there. Not much they can do as their Irish contingent will have to be rested.
@Kingshu: i support all 4 irish sides and i pay for it so im not bothered
@Stuart: only a small number of Ulster home games are on BBC NI, but I think next season with a new TV contract, a similar amount of the other 3 provinces games will go behind a paywall as well. There’ll be outrage there, but when they learn its been happening to Ulster/ Glasgow Edinburgh and Welsh regoins for years there won’t be much to complain about. Its why the TV deal currently is and will be lot bigger than the Premierships.
@Kingshu: I do wonder what impact the paywall has had on Ulster’s support?
@Ray Ridge: . Get a life Ray.
Will coach against his son Ben, scrum half ,,for Connacht , really abject reporting
@John Ryan: appalling journalism
@John Ryan: Yeah had to read that a few time to work out what he was trying to say. Coach against Ben, or coach for Jack
What are you boys waffling about?
@John Nethercott: They make very little sense, those lads John. Waffle on day in day out.
@John Nethercott: im not sure