EVEN IF MUNSTER had been able to choose from a full deck, it was going to be a tough task travelling to Dublin and trying to beat Leinster this weekend.
If they still manage to do it in this Saturday’s URC semi-final, it will probably get its own chapter in the Munster history book. That tome already includes plenty of against-the-odds material, although a glaring lack of wins over Leinster in recent history.
Last weekend’s quarter-final win over Glasgow brought with it a remarkable, wince-inducing injury toll. It was tough viewing when it came to head injuries, with four Munster players forced off for Head Injury Assessments [HIAs] they didn’t return from.
Scrum-half Conor Murray took a nasty blow to the head in the illegal tackle that saw Glasgow’s Tom Jordan sent off, while centre Malakai Fekitoa, wing Calvin Nash, and lock RG Snyman were the other three who had to undergo HIAs. All four Munster players are now going through the return-to-play protocols and won’t feature against Leinster.
There are still big doubts over captain Peter O’Mahony, who has had a scan on his elbow injury after being replaced just four minutes into the Glasgow game. It’s usually not good news when a player has to go for a scan, but Munster say they’ll know about his availability later in the week.
The update was similar on hooker Diarmuid Barron, who picked up a shoulder injury against the Glaswegians and had to go off after 42 minutes.
That’s four starters from last weekend who will definitely be missing the Leinster game and another two who are clearly doubtful. It takes the meaning of ‘injury toll’ to a new level. Add to that the fact that the game against Glasgow had a massive ball-in-play time of over 44 minutes, as well as the travel, and it’s clear the quarter-final has left Munster in a tough spot.
So what happens next?
Craig Casey will come in at scrum-half for Murray, with Neil Cronin or Ethan Coughlan in line for promotion to the bench as Paddy Patterson’s season was ended by an ACL rupture on the recent tour of South Africa.
Fekitoa’s absence in midfield could see Jack Crowley shift from number 10 to 12, where he has already started five games this season. Crowley has been at out-half for the past four games but could move to make way in the starting side for Ben Healy. That would mean Joey Carbery presumably coming back into the matchday 23, though he’d love a return to the starting XV of course.
But Munster may be loath to move Crowley back out of the number 10 shirt, particularly after he had a strong game at out-half in Glasgow. If he’s to be Munster’s main man at 10 long-term, that’s where Crowley needs to play. In that case, the highly experienced Rory Scannell could come into the side at inside centre in place of Fekitoa.
It’s far from ideal that wings Keith Earls, Andrew Conway, and Liam Coombes are injured at the moment, so there’s an interesting decision to be made out wide with Nash also out of the frame now.
Simon Zebo has been totally out of the selection picture recently but has played in plenty of big games in the past, while Rowntree and co. are fans of 20-year-old academy man Pa Campbell, who has started games on the wing and at fullback this season. It would be exciting to see Campbell unleashed in a semi-final.
The decision in the second row appears straightforward after Fineen Wycherley made a telling impact off the bench against Glasgow. He should start the Leinster clash, with the highly-rated 20-year-old Edwin Edgobo in contention for a place on the bench. The explosive Thomas Ahern is also in contention.
It is a huge shame that Snyman is sidelined once again. Having overcome his long-term knee issues, this was his second head injury in the space of a month. The South African simply has no luck.
If Barron doesn’t make it, Ireland international Niall Scannell is set to start and Scott Buckley looks likely to provide hooker cover among the replacements.
And if O’Mahony is ruled out in the end, John Hodnett or Alex Kendellen will almost certainly be promoted from the bench. Hodnett did a fine job in replacing O’Mahony early on last weekend so he could be the front-runner for the number seven shirt. If Munster stay with a 6/2 bench split, Jack O’Donoghue would be raring to come back into the squad.
It’s all a big test of Munster’s squad and certainly adds to Leinster’s status as strong favourites for this tie at the Aviva Stadium, where there will be a limited capacity of 29,000.
Not that Graham Rowntree and his players will be viewing this game as anything other than a big opportunity. His ambition must be that Munster come into these games as favourites in the future, regardless of injuries and availabilities. Irish rugby would be so much better for this rivalry really being restored.
Let’s not forget that Leinster will almost certainly rest all of their frontliners against Munster, a week before the Champions Cup final against La Rochelle. A fifth European star is Leinster’s priority. Their squad depth is the envy of nearly every other club, but Munster must see this as a chance even with their own injury travails.
Munster’s supporters will travel as strongly as always and this is a no-pressure shot at the end of a season that has seen Rowntree and his new coaching staff rip up what was there before, installing a new playing philosophy that their players have embraced.
That’s the main thing that makes this latest Leinster v Munster instalment compelling – the sense that Munster will actually go out and fire some shots, trying to win the game rather than just attempting to limit the possibility of Leinster cutting loose. The big frustration for fans in recent years was the feeling that Munster simply didn’t play.
Surely this time, Munster will have a go.
If the truth was known, I’d say nearly all counties are back training. Dubs and Monaghan unlucky to be caught out.
@Eoin Fitzgerald: I play for galway and we are not back
@Lorrimore: Ah Joe he did say nearly.
@Lorrimore: not a gone for a run with a team mate or two?
@Lorrimore: hard to imagine a couple of lads wouldn’t be going for runs together etc – wouldn’t be human if weren’t doing that
@BMJF: even the dogs go round in pairs in Galway.
Suspending managers means nutin. Players involved need suspension. It’s a farce. Managers will still do exactly wat the did before ban. A token suspension to appease the masses.
@Martin Glynn: Training restart date for offending counties should start a month later than counties who obeyed the rules,
@Martin Glynn: I agree, but it has to be tv rights as the reason why you don’t ban the players, the rules are there from a GAA point of view( never mind legal)so they all should be banned as well as the other county teams who done the same
@Martin Glynn: if you suspend all players who broke Covid rules you won’t have a league this year !!!
@Oliver Curley: which ones obeyed the rules?? Are you sure of which ones did? I wager very few if any have stuck to individual training or lads haven’t run further than 5km – it’s easy to criticise
@Oliver Curley: which ones obeyed the rules?? Are you sure of which ones did? I wager very few if any have stuck to individual training or lads haven’t run further than 5km
What is it about the GAA and the need to prove you are are a cute hoor when it comes to getting around the rules. Its almost like a badge of honor.
@Enda Flaherty: there are plenty of cute hoors in the GAA. If there is a rule set, some people love to able to say “We didn’t go by that rule”. Stricter punishment is needed for counties that break the rules. 12 week ban for the manager is no punishment really. Fine for the county board is the way to have it.
I’ve no doubt they’re all back in some capacity. However a 12 week ban for the bainisteoir is no punishment at all.
12 week ban should start from when training starts officially !
All counties now have a loophole(cleverly supplied by Dublin). Take a chance and if we’re caught we can suspend the manager, as that will have no impact whatsoever. Players and other team officials carry on without sanction, and manager will be back for the league. The suspension of the manager creates the impression that the powers that be are treating the matter very seriously. They must think we are all idiots. Do they really expect us to believe that the manager organized these sessions covertly and that the county board officers were unaware they were happening.
@Leonard O’mahony: supplied by the GAA last year when they banned Cork and Down manager for 12 weeks respectively one was reduced to 8 on appeal.
@Leonard O’mahony: and does anyone think that most counties haven’t been doing a bit?
Should have trained in Tesco, Dunnes, Aldi or any of the other retail majors. Socially distanced & outside!!! What we’re they thinking.l? Seriously, we’ve lost the plot at this stage, we haven’t a clue what our targets are or what’s even attainable. They’re in trouble due to breaking draconian, non-sensical, effing id!otic regulations
12 weeks is a joke, it has no impact.
Copy and paste job!
Trying to understand what’s meant by “serious error of judgement”.
As if the defence of reasonable mistake could be made, “I’m sorry, I misunderstood, mea culpa”?
What judgement was required to be made?
It was a deliberate decision taken to flout a rule that is very clear and unambiguous, impossible to misinterpret.
It couldn’t even happen to a bishop.
Simple really. County boards could be asked to disclose players travelling expenses, mileage etc. There’s many sponsored cars parked up at gyms across the country.
Once a clown,
Full head the ball that lad
Monaghan players are probably delighted they wont know themselves kicking the forward instead of backwards very negative manager
@john malonoy: kicking forwards is quite a negative tactic tbf
@john malonoy: kicking the ball forward i meant
@Cian Nolan: it’s a good tactic for a full back
What kind of society has Ireland become. Blaming teams who are training outdoors with pretty much zero risk but no blame to those making idiotic rules stopping people exercising outdoors.
No wonder Holohan is gone into hiding. NPHET said follow the science for the last year. Now when the science doesn’t suit their agenda, they say u can’t follow that science! Laughable.
@James Quinn: Holohan’s wife has passed away he’s on leave. Be better.
@James Quinn: tasteless comment regarding Holohan. Disgusting.
@James Quinn: do the honourable thing and withdraw that disgraceful comment about Holohan.
@Bruce Lee: I surely won’t apologise. He caused the deaths of over 1000 nursing home patients by moving untested patients from hospitals to nursing homes and then didn’t carry out 1 covid test for 3 weeks in the homes at the height of the virus from the end of March to the middle of April allowing to virus to spread like wildfire. He knew long before the virus came here that it affected the elderly but he done nothing about it.
The man is despicable as his behaviour recently showed when he wouldn’t apologise for the cervical scandal a few years ago. How u can defend him is beyond me.
@Paul Lee: Please elaborate there Paul. Have u been under a rock for the last few years an not witnessed Holohans behaviour? Ask Vicky Phelan and plenty more who are still alive what they think of Holohan. As u say, his behaviour surely was disgusting and no remorse for his actions.
Just ban counties who break the rules from this year’s championship,that’ll soften their cough.
Not good enough.
Suggest Government should delay opening senior GAA for 2-3 weeks.
Allow kids to participate.
BRAINLESS…& WE still CANT PLAY golf. Wake up Mehole & co.
But of course…it’s the Vote gaining GAA again. Wolfe ruined it for Golfers GAA get away with it.
No wonder is wasn’t classed as an elite sport. So much disrespect shown to guidelines and rules. Did anyone expect anything less from the GAA, players need punishing, not the management.
Not to mention character references being provided for r@pists- spouting rubbish that it’s not on the club/org behalf yet the author making a huge deal about the gaa connections & the org response is concern it might negatively impact them as opposed to a victim/survivor- toxic to the last
Should have trained in Tesco, Dunnes, Aldi or any of the other retail majors. Socially distanced & outside!!! What we’re they thinking.l? Seriously, we’ve lost the plot at this stage, we haven’t a clue what our targets are or what’s even attainable. They’re in trouble due to breaking draconian, non-sensical, effing idiotic regulations
It was just banty.
These inter county managers are on huge salaries. Will they continue to be paid while they are not working?
Cut funding to the county.