PETER O’MAHONY, CONOR Murray, and Stephen Archer will move on from Munster at the end of this season, taking more than 700 provincial games of experience with them.
Dave Kilcoyne is also retiring, meaning another 220 matches of experience gone.
Throw in the fact that Keith Earls, Andrew Conway, and Simon Zebo have also hung up their boots in the last two years and it’s a huge loss of proven top-class ability and experience in the squad.
The new era is already upon Munster and they’ve been planning for these inevitable changes for some time. Incoming head coach Clayton McMillan will certainly be considering how they manage the reality of losing more key figures.
O’Mahony’s retirement means the southern province are losing their main leader from the last 12 or 13 years. Even though Tadhg Beirne took over as captain last season, O’Mahony has remained pivotal in setting standards and setting the tone for the team.
A newcomer to captaincy, 33-year-old Beirne has grown into the role and his ‘messaging’ to the squad has seemingly impressed team-mates and coaches recently. With O’Mahony moving on, Beirne will need other leaders like the influential Craig Casey to continue supporting him.
As for O’Mahony’s longstanding position at blindside flanker, Munster have already begun the process of moving into the next chapter.
The towering, dynamic Tom Ahern has made 12 starts in the number six jersey in the last two seasons. The 6ft 9ins Waterford man also plays in the second row but is well suited to a lineout-jumping, width-holding role as a blindside flanker.
Now 25 and hoping for a shot at international rugby with Ireland, the pacy Ahern probably feels like it’s his time to move to the next level.
Tom Ahern has impressed at blindside flanker. Billy Stickland / INPHO
Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
21-year-old academy back row Ruadhán Quinn, who is moving onto a development deal this summer, has made four senior starts at blindside flanker and has impressed with his impact off the bench. He doesn’t have the same lineout skills as Ahern, but he is excellent in contact. Quinn is very well-regarded within the Munster set-up.
21-year-old back row Brian Gleeson, already on a senior deal, is primarily viewed as a number eight and his only two senior starts for the province have come at the back of the scrum. However, he may be eyeing the blindside slot for a few more starts next season, bringing his ball-carrying power and offering a different skillset to Ahern. Current number eight incumbent Gavin Coombes is still only 27.
31-year-old Jack O’Donoghue, another leader in the squad, can play in all three back row slots, so has had lots of starts at blindside flanker for Munster and will continue to provide a strong option there next season. O’Donoghue is a defensive lineout and maul specialist on top of his work around the pitch.
Of course, Munster captain Beirne is another option at blindside, even if the province have moved away from using him there. All of Beirne’s starts in the last two seasons have been in the second row. While Ireland have played him at number six more recently, Beirne’s last start there for Munster was back in October 2022.
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With Edwin Edogbo returning from long-term injury, Evan O’Connell making promising progress, as well as Jean Kleyn and Fineen Wycherley still being in the mix, Munster will have improved second row options. Beirne could possibly shift to six and continue calling the lineout from there on occasion, even if his best rugby seems to come as a lock.
While they have fleetingly featured at blindside, John Hodnett and Alex Kendellen are very much seen as openside flankers by Munster.
21-year-old academy back row Seán Edogbo impressed at blindside for the Ireland U20s last year and then for Emerging Ireland earlier this season but has yet to make his senior Munster debut. Getting the explosive, combative flanker into the senior mix would seem like a priority next season.
19-year-old Michael Foy is a player to watch in the long term, having joined the academy at the start of this season. The Cork man was superb at blindside even as Ireland struggled in the U20 Six Nations and will be a key figure at this summer’s World Championship. He looks like a big prospect, even if the step from U20s to professional rugby is huge.
20-year-old Luke Murphy, strong at number eight in the same U20s side as Edogbo, is also part of Munster’s academy.
Craig Casey has already become a key figure at scrum-half. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Murray’s exit will magnify how crucial a figure Casey is for Munster at scrum-half. The 26-year-old has lifted his performance levels notably in the last two seasons, bringing consistent quality at number nine.
Murray has remained an assured, confident back-up to Casey and his reliability and composure are likely to be missed next season.
23-year-old Ennis man Ethan Coughlan will be aiming to step up, having made eight starts and 12 bench appearances for the province so far. A smart operator who delivers consistent passing, Coughlan has yet to make his Champions Cup debut.
The other scrum-half in Munster’s senior squad is Paddy Patterson, who has made 38 appearances since joining from Leinster in 2021. He has been unlucky with injuries, yet has delivered some impressive performances in the nine shirt. Patterson has a similar style to Casey in attack, bringing rapid service and a sniping threat.
With academy scrum-half Jack Oliver making a move to Glasgow, the other youngster in the Munster set-up is uncapped 20-year-old Jake O’Riordan.
As Kilcoyne and Archer both get set for retirement, the new era of Munster’s front row is nigh.
Kilcoyne was only able to make five appearances in the last two seasons due to injury, so the process of moving on at loosehead is well underway. It accelerated with the early arrival of the powerful Michael Milne from Leinster recently and the Offaly man has made a strong early impression.
Milne’s ball-carrying edge has been welcome and he will hope to finish this season strongly, putting himself in the mix for an Ireland debut this summer.
Milne will compete with Jeremy Loughman, who is currently injured, for the number one shirt in Munster. 25-year-old Josh Wycherley will also be pushing, while 24-year-old Mark Donnelly has 13 senior appearances and academy loosehead Kieran Ryan has 12.
Over on the tighthead side, Munster will be looking for Oli Jager to continue improving. The 29-year-old has one Ireland cap and aims to get back into the national team mix, so he will be keen to bring more around the pitch, as he did previously with the Crusaders.
Oli Jager is in his second season with Munster. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
It’s thought that Munster are keen to bring in another tighthead prop and that there are promising signs the IRFU might grant approval for a non-Irish-qualified [NIQ] signing in this position.
Munster are believed to have pushed to bring in a NIQ front row on several occasions in recent years, but were not granted approval by the IRFU while David Nucifora was performance director.
Initially, it seemed that would continue under David Humphreys, who took over from Nucifora in 2024 and announced that the Irish provinces would be banned from signing NIQ props.
However, Humphreys has since signalled a major relaxation of that measure. The IRFU signed off on Munster bringing in South African loosehead Dian Blueler on a short-term deal amid an injury crisis this season, while Leinster were allowed to extend French tighthead Rabah Slimani’s deal into next season.
Humphreys indicated earlier this year that there are no longer concrete rules when it comes to NIQ signings, with each case considered on its merits. So Munster have been considering their options in this regard and could add a NIQ tighthead next season or in 2027, depending on who is available.
A senior depth chart of Jager, John Ryan, and Roman Salanoa for next season obviously looks a bit light, especially given that Salanoa is still sidelined at the moment. It’s fairly late for top-tier tightheads to still be on the market for next season, so Munster may look for a short-term option and aim for a stronger long-term tighthead addition next year.
36-year-old tighthead Ryan is playing on with Munster next season and will remain an option on the loosehead side of the scrum too, having started three games in the number one shirt during the current campaign, as well as being used as a replacement there. With such a chunk of experience being shorn from the squad, the likes of Ryan will surely be important in managing the next stage.
Munster are hoping 27-year-old Salanoa can finally overcome his long-term knee troubles ahead of next season. He hasn’t played since the 2023 URC final, so his return to fitness would be a telling boost. Salanoa is a big, explosive tighthead who had been making great strides before his injury, even training with Ireland during their 2023 Grand Slam campaign.
22-year-old academy prop Ronan Foxe has made three first-team appearances for Munster and will be striving to kick on in 2025/26. The Midland Warriors RFC and Tullamore RFC product is a big man who shone for the Ireland U20s in 2023.
Every squad must deal with legendary players moving on. Munster will hope that some of those mentioned here can step up next season.
But history tells us that replacing world-class players like O’Mahony and Murray can be fiendishly difficult. There simply aren’t many of that calibre floating around. Even the ones with great promise might never reach the level of quality that pair did.
- This article was updated at 10.25am on 19 May to insert the word ‘will’ into the 27th paragraph.
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How will Munster deal with the exits of POM, Murray, and Archer?
PETER O’MAHONY, CONOR Murray, and Stephen Archer will move on from Munster at the end of this season, taking more than 700 provincial games of experience with them.
Dave Kilcoyne is also retiring, meaning another 220 matches of experience gone.
Throw in the fact that Keith Earls, Andrew Conway, and Simon Zebo have also hung up their boots in the last two years and it’s a huge loss of proven top-class ability and experience in the squad.
The new era is already upon Munster and they’ve been planning for these inevitable changes for some time. Incoming head coach Clayton McMillan will certainly be considering how they manage the reality of losing more key figures.
O’Mahony’s retirement means the southern province are losing their main leader from the last 12 or 13 years. Even though Tadhg Beirne took over as captain last season, O’Mahony has remained pivotal in setting standards and setting the tone for the team.
A newcomer to captaincy, 33-year-old Beirne has grown into the role and his ‘messaging’ to the squad has seemingly impressed team-mates and coaches recently. With O’Mahony moving on, Beirne will need other leaders like the influential Craig Casey to continue supporting him.
As for O’Mahony’s longstanding position at blindside flanker, Munster have already begun the process of moving into the next chapter.
The towering, dynamic Tom Ahern has made 12 starts in the number six jersey in the last two seasons. The 6ft 9ins Waterford man also plays in the second row but is well suited to a lineout-jumping, width-holding role as a blindside flanker.
Now 25 and hoping for a shot at international rugby with Ireland, the pacy Ahern probably feels like it’s his time to move to the next level.
21-year-old academy back row Ruadhán Quinn, who is moving onto a development deal this summer, has made four senior starts at blindside flanker and has impressed with his impact off the bench. He doesn’t have the same lineout skills as Ahern, but he is excellent in contact. Quinn is very well-regarded within the Munster set-up.
21-year-old back row Brian Gleeson, already on a senior deal, is primarily viewed as a number eight and his only two senior starts for the province have come at the back of the scrum. However, he may be eyeing the blindside slot for a few more starts next season, bringing his ball-carrying power and offering a different skillset to Ahern. Current number eight incumbent Gavin Coombes is still only 27.
31-year-old Jack O’Donoghue, another leader in the squad, can play in all three back row slots, so has had lots of starts at blindside flanker for Munster and will continue to provide a strong option there next season. O’Donoghue is a defensive lineout and maul specialist on top of his work around the pitch.
Of course, Munster captain Beirne is another option at blindside, even if the province have moved away from using him there. All of Beirne’s starts in the last two seasons have been in the second row. While Ireland have played him at number six more recently, Beirne’s last start there for Munster was back in October 2022.
With Edwin Edogbo returning from long-term injury, Evan O’Connell making promising progress, as well as Jean Kleyn and Fineen Wycherley still being in the mix, Munster will have improved second row options. Beirne could possibly shift to six and continue calling the lineout from there on occasion, even if his best rugby seems to come as a lock.
While they have fleetingly featured at blindside, John Hodnett and Alex Kendellen are very much seen as openside flankers by Munster.
21-year-old academy back row Seán Edogbo impressed at blindside for the Ireland U20s last year and then for Emerging Ireland earlier this season but has yet to make his senior Munster debut. Getting the explosive, combative flanker into the senior mix would seem like a priority next season.
19-year-old Michael Foy is a player to watch in the long term, having joined the academy at the start of this season. The Cork man was superb at blindside even as Ireland struggled in the U20 Six Nations and will be a key figure at this summer’s World Championship. He looks like a big prospect, even if the step from U20s to professional rugby is huge.
20-year-old Luke Murphy, strong at number eight in the same U20s side as Edogbo, is also part of Munster’s academy.
Murray’s exit will magnify how crucial a figure Casey is for Munster at scrum-half. The 26-year-old has lifted his performance levels notably in the last two seasons, bringing consistent quality at number nine.
Murray has remained an assured, confident back-up to Casey and his reliability and composure are likely to be missed next season.
23-year-old Ennis man Ethan Coughlan will be aiming to step up, having made eight starts and 12 bench appearances for the province so far. A smart operator who delivers consistent passing, Coughlan has yet to make his Champions Cup debut.
The other scrum-half in Munster’s senior squad is Paddy Patterson, who has made 38 appearances since joining from Leinster in 2021. He has been unlucky with injuries, yet has delivered some impressive performances in the nine shirt. Patterson has a similar style to Casey in attack, bringing rapid service and a sniping threat.
With academy scrum-half Jack Oliver making a move to Glasgow, the other youngster in the Munster set-up is uncapped 20-year-old Jake O’Riordan.
As Kilcoyne and Archer both get set for retirement, the new era of Munster’s front row is nigh.
Kilcoyne was only able to make five appearances in the last two seasons due to injury, so the process of moving on at loosehead is well underway. It accelerated with the early arrival of the powerful Michael Milne from Leinster recently and the Offaly man has made a strong early impression.
Milne’s ball-carrying edge has been welcome and he will hope to finish this season strongly, putting himself in the mix for an Ireland debut this summer.
Milne will compete with Jeremy Loughman, who is currently injured, for the number one shirt in Munster. 25-year-old Josh Wycherley will also be pushing, while 24-year-old Mark Donnelly has 13 senior appearances and academy loosehead Kieran Ryan has 12.
Over on the tighthead side, Munster will be looking for Oli Jager to continue improving. The 29-year-old has one Ireland cap and aims to get back into the national team mix, so he will be keen to bring more around the pitch, as he did previously with the Crusaders.
It’s thought that Munster are keen to bring in another tighthead prop and that there are promising signs the IRFU might grant approval for a non-Irish-qualified [NIQ] signing in this position.
Munster are believed to have pushed to bring in a NIQ front row on several occasions in recent years, but were not granted approval by the IRFU while David Nucifora was performance director.
Initially, it seemed that would continue under David Humphreys, who took over from Nucifora in 2024 and announced that the Irish provinces would be banned from signing NIQ props.
However, Humphreys has since signalled a major relaxation of that measure. The IRFU signed off on Munster bringing in South African loosehead Dian Blueler on a short-term deal amid an injury crisis this season, while Leinster were allowed to extend French tighthead Rabah Slimani’s deal into next season.
Humphreys indicated earlier this year that there are no longer concrete rules when it comes to NIQ signings, with each case considered on its merits. So Munster have been considering their options in this regard and could add a NIQ tighthead next season or in 2027, depending on who is available.
A senior depth chart of Jager, John Ryan, and Roman Salanoa for next season obviously looks a bit light, especially given that Salanoa is still sidelined at the moment. It’s fairly late for top-tier tightheads to still be on the market for next season, so Munster may look for a short-term option and aim for a stronger long-term tighthead addition next year.
36-year-old tighthead Ryan is playing on with Munster next season and will remain an option on the loosehead side of the scrum too, having started three games in the number one shirt during the current campaign, as well as being used as a replacement there. With such a chunk of experience being shorn from the squad, the likes of Ryan will surely be important in managing the next stage.
Munster are hoping 27-year-old Salanoa can finally overcome his long-term knee troubles ahead of next season. He hasn’t played since the 2023 URC final, so his return to fitness would be a telling boost. Salanoa is a big, explosive tighthead who had been making great strides before his injury, even training with Ireland during their 2023 Grand Slam campaign.
22-year-old academy prop Ronan Foxe has made three first-team appearances for Munster and will be striving to kick on in 2025/26. The Midland Warriors RFC and Tullamore RFC product is a big man who shone for the Ireland U20s in 2023.
Every squad must deal with legendary players moving on. Munster will hope that some of those mentioned here can step up next season.
But history tells us that replacing world-class players like O’Mahony and Murray can be fiendishly difficult. There simply aren’t many of that calibre floating around. Even the ones with great promise might never reach the level of quality that pair did.
- This article was updated at 10.25am on 19 May to insert the word ‘will’ into the 27th paragraph.
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archer Kilcoyne Murray pom succession planning