Clayton McMillan expects Tadhg Beirne to stay as Munster captain

Munster head coach Clayton McMillan has indicated that Tadhg Beirne is likely to continue as captain for the upcoming season.

Beirne, who was first appointed to the role last year, is set to resume action in Round 4 of the URC against Leinster at Croke Park after completing his pre-season preparations.

McMillan revealed that Beirne had not originally sought out the captaincy role, but after a season in charge he feels more comfortable leading the squad.

His experiences on the British & Irish Lions tour, where he played in all three Tests against Australia, further boosted his understanding of leadership at the highest level.

The Munster boss stressed the importance of spreading leadership responsibilities across the squad. He highlighted Craig Casey, who captained Ireland during the summer tour, as an example of emerging leadership talent.

McMillan added that identifying non-international leaders will be vital to ensure stability when senior internationals are unavailable.

“Craig Casey led the Irish team on the summer tour. All the feedback from the coaches that were involved there - not just the Munster ones, but others - was that he was outstanding.

“We know he’s got the ability to lead and there's a couple of others that could be in the mix.

"I think it’s important we identify some people who aren't internationals because there's going to be times in the year where they don't play, and we can't have the ship fall over just because a couple of people aren't there.