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Munster could hand debuts to Michael Milne and Lee Barron against the Bulls

Newly arrived forward duo from Leinster could be pressed straight into action in URC clash

Michael Milne takes part in Munster training on Tuesday. The loosehead is in line to make his debut against the Bulls at Thomond Park on Saturday. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho
Michael Milne takes part in Munster training on Tuesday. The loosehead is in line to make his debut against the Bulls at Thomond Park on Saturday. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho
John Fallon
Tue Apr 15 2025 - 19:06

New signings Michael Milne and Lee Barron could be drafted in for their Munster debuts against the Bulls in the URC at Thomond Park on Saturday after joining the province this week ahead of their planned permanent moves in the summer.

Interim head coach Ian Costello confirmed that loosehead prop Milne and hooker Barron are available for action straight away and could be poised for their debuts given Munster’s frontrow injury difficulties.

Costello said that long-serving Munster loosehead Jeremy Loughman could be gone for the season with a hamstring problem, while hooker Diarmuid Barron could be back after this weekend from a shoulder/arm injury picked up in the loss to Bordeaux Bègles.

Backrower John Hodnett also misses out against the Bulls with a toe problem, while number eight Gavin Coombes and winger Calvin Nash are both awaiting results of scans on ankle injuries picked up in Bordeaux, but Costello is confident none of them are serious.

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“We don’t think any of them are long term, which is good news. I’m just out of the medical meeting now, but probably unlikely the four of them will make it for this week.

“We could maybe squeeze one or two through if we had to. We’ve got some really good opportunities to freshen up the squad with guys who have been probably just outside it lately. They are chomping at the bit. So yeah, we’re still going to have a really strong squad for the weekend and some of those guys will come back in the following Friday against Cardiff,” said Costello.

He confirmed that Barron and Milne, who have arrived on loan until the end of the season ahead of their permanent move from Leinster, could be drafted in straight away this weekend despite only arriving in Limerick on Monday.

“Both are available. They both only came in yesterday. I met them yesterday for the first time since we signed them really. We keep in touch regularly. But they came down and moved to Limerick yesterday. Leinster were very supportive in facilitating that. And obviously the club also had to make that happen. So when we needed it to be, the right people were able to support it.

“Mikey, I suppose, will cover for Jeremy Loughman’s injury. So he’s out potentially for the end of the season. And Diarmuid Barron is likely only out for a short period. But still it was a really good opportunity to get Lee in as well,” added Costello, who confirmed that neither Milne or Barron could feature against Leinster should they meet in the knock-out stages of the URC.

Lee Barron takes part in Munster training at UL on Tuesday. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho
Lee Barron takes part in Munster training at UL on Tuesday. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho

Munster are currently fifth in the table, six points adrift of the Sharks above them who occupy the final home quarter-final spot. But the Reds are just three points clear of Cardiff who sit outside the qualification places in ninth.

Three of Munster’s four remaining games are at home, starting this Saturday against the Bulls. Then they are away to Cardiff the following Friday, and conclude their schedule with ties against Ulster in Limerick and Benetton in Cork on May 16th.

Costello said the primary task now for Munster was to put their Champions Cup exit to Bordeaux Bègles behind them and ensure they nail down a knock-out spot in the URC.

“We underperformed and that’s what’s the hardest to take. Because regret is hard to live with. And for the last 48 hours, people have had to process a huge amount of disappointment.

“People here are really pissed off with that performance, excuse my language, because it means so much to us. And also because we know that we should have performed a lot better. Our turnover count was in the twenties. We lost nine lineouts. Just cut that in half. Cut that in half and I think we’re competitive toe to toe with them. I really do.

“And that’s what probably the last 20 minutes of the game showed us. And probably the first five minutes where we missed a very easy opportunity. And that’s not being falsely positive or trying to be, you know, fluffy around it.

“We’ve dealt with this honestly, openly. It’s not good enough. We should have performed better. We didn’t when it mattered. But we genuinely feel if we’d been more active around the lineout, more active around our handling, and we conceded two first-phase tries off scrums as well. Even just cut that in half and we think we’re right there with Bordeaux. It’s hard to argue that now because that’s not what happened. That’s genuinely what we feel.

“And the important part of that is we’ve absolute belief in where we’re going. And the last month is evidence of that. We’ve put in some big performances.

“And that’s what has been the chat today. Own it, learn from it and move on from it because if we lose at the weekend to the Bulls then we are in a dogfight to make the playoffs.”