Clayton McMillan hails Charlie O’Shea performance and reveals special visit from Munster legend
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Blue chipper.
Munster head coach Clayton McMillan hailed a “phenomenal” performance from Charlie O’Shea after the young outhalf helped his side secure their first win of the new season.
The 20-year-old scored two tries and kicked three conversions as Munster defeated the Bulls 26-22 in a bonus-point victory at Thomond Park on Saturday.
Having made his competitive debut off the bench against Glasgow the previous week, O’Shea marked his first start with a 16-point haul before leaving the field to a standing ovation after 68 minutes.
Speaking after the game, McMillan praised the academy prospect while stressing that it remains early days.
“Phenomenal,” McMillan said of O’Shea’s performance.
“You don’t want to blow too much smoke up his backside; it’s the early days, but he’s had a couple of runs now, and he’s taken to it like a duck to water.”
“A lot of confidence for a young man, but it comes from doing the homework during the week and getting over what he knows the team needs him to do, and he’s done that with aplomb.”
Scrum-half Craig Casey, who captained Munster on the night, was equally impressed with his young half-back partner.
“He’s a great kid, like Donk [McMillan] said, works very hard and so diligent and just feeds confidence to the rest of the group, so hats off to him.”
“I thought he was awesome, and he has been for the last six, seven weeks in pre-season as well. He’s a very impressive kid.”
McMillan also revealed that former Munster hooker Jerry Flannery, who is now coaching the Springboks, had visited the squad before the game, delivering a message that proved particularly fitting as they battled back to secure victory.
“We had Jerry Flannery come in yesterday and present the boys’ jerseys at our captain’s run, and the words he used were…
‘Dig in, just dig in. Dig in in the good times, dig in in the bad times, dig in when you’re tired’.
“I thought that was pretty apt today.”
Munster are back in action next Saturday, October 10, when they travel to Belfast to face Ulster at Affidea Stadium, with kick-off at 5.30pm.
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