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.
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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.
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Munster set to sign Leinster prop Michael Milne and hooker Lee Barron
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.
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