MUNSTER HAVE BEEN hit by several big blows ahead of this weekend’s URC semi-final against Leinster in Dublin, with scrum-half Conor Murray, second row RG Snyman, wing Calvin Nash, and centre Malakai Fekitoa all ruled out with head injuries.
Captain Peter O’Mahony remains a major doubt too, with the Ireland international due to have a scan on his elbow injury today. His availability will be determined later this week, according to Munster.
And hooker Diarmuid Barron is also a doubt due to a shoulder issue, with his progress to be monitored over the course of the coming days.
All six players were injured in last weekend’s bruising quarter-final win away to Glasgow at Scotstoun Stadium.
Murray, Snyman, Nash, and Fekitoa were forced off for Head Injury Assessments [HIAs] during the game and are now going through the return-to-play protocols, but will definitely miss Saturday’s meeting with Leinster at the Aviva Stadium.
O’Mahony was forced off injured just minutes into the Glasgow match, while Barron was replaced early in the second half.
These new injuries add to a list that already included the likes of wing pair Keith Earls and Andrew Conway, as well as scrum-half Paddy Patterson.
There was one positive on the injury front during the Glasgow win, as Tadhg Beirne got through the full 80 minutes on his return from an ankle problem. Beirne took over the captaincy when O’Mahony was forced off.
Leinster are set to be without many of their frontliners this weekend as head coach Leo Cullen uses his wider squad a week before the Champions Cup final against La Rochelle.
That’s just our luck!!! Would have to loved to see if we had the beating of Leinster. Just missing too many big game players to win this one
@Kenneth O’Connor: If we had ducks they’d drown. Scannell’s nose must be ok then. Hopefully POM will be ok but he looked very uncomfortable when he got the knock.
@TL55: that made me laugh….brilliant
@Kenneth O’Connor: ah lad, leinster will be missing more internationals then we’ll be missing first team players. We still have a chance at beating them, will be mich tougher now yes.
@Patrick O’Sullivan: with the munster players missing Leo could take his eye of this game and weaken his selection with the champions cup in mind, it could also allow a little bit of complacency to creep in. The injuries could work out in munsters favour.
This is the most important Final Irish Trial(have to be of a certain vintage to get this) ever before World Cup. What an opportunity for Munsters youngsters to show what they have got. Could not get a better platform to make a statement. Brilliant to have 3 Irish sides in semi’s.
@Eamon Holly: appears that you’re of that vintage all right and your glasses are rose tinted. A game between the Leinster squad would look more like a final trial than next Saturday’s game.
@sean malone: As a Leinster fan, that’s a little harsh .. Jack Crowley, Gavin Coombes would disagree too! And given Hendo’s run of injuries and Jean K’s recent excellent form, that 4th lock position could be up for grabs.
@Eamon Holly: Its a big big chance for Crowley, possibly the best opportunity he has had so far to steak a claim. I hope he takes his chance, Coombes needs a big one too. Really would like to see JVDF and Hodnett on the park at the same time, he would learn so much playing against him. While it sucks that Snyman and Nash are out, the latter being in great form right now and again probs challenging as a result, it means that Edogbo (or even better Ahearn) get a free shot, I like Buckley too, big unit, maybe we see Campbell back in the mix.
@sean malone: No need to rub it in Sean
@sean malone: it could throw up (depending on selection) coombes v deagan, crowley at 10 or 12 v harry byrne or frawley, kilcoyne v healy, klyne v molony or baird, casey v mcgrath, there are quite a few players who are on the fringes of the squad who could give their own chances a massive boost or wave goodbye to the world cup
Too many head injuries in this game to accept that they were all accidental.
@Billy Maloney: tin foil hat
@baz dunne: don’t think that would be much protection
@Luke Sisk: Haha, nice one!
This was to be expected after the horrendous battle in Scotstoun. It’s really a pity as it would have made for a better rugby if all were fit. Difficult to envisage Munster getting through to the final at this rate. They fought bravely on the weekend.
Surprised there has been no comment about Glasgow tactics that caused so many HIA’s. That’s the stuff that puts people off letting kids play.
@Andrew Donovan: Agreed. It would be good to see Murray do some analysis on the injury front. One or two you can put down to chance…needs checking even to show there’s nothing but tough tactics.
@Andrew Donovan: other than the absolute assault on Murray, I didnt read them as tactics.
@Andrew Donovan: Yup. Every contact Tuipulotu went in leading with his head.
Excuses coming in hard and fast.
Already admitting defeat in some quarters.
What happened to overcoming adversity, backs against the wall, come out fighting etc?? Is this what it’s all come to with the brave and faithful?!
@baz dunne: to lose nearly a third of a starting XV, plus probably POM, is brutal. Any team would struggle big time. And I’m a Leinster fan.
@Real Dev: I definitely think we’ll beat them too, I just very surprised how they’re seemingly resigned to defeat. Where’s the siege mentality? We’re the ones with the bigger game the week after.. surely a chance in an ideal world to catch us on the hop….?
@Real Dev: Munster could play with 16 forward and 14 backs and still lose. Lets not pretend you even had a chance with no injuries
@baz dunne: They’re not excuses. They’re simple realities.
@baz dunne: I dunno about resigned to defeat, but looking at Leinster’s record this season just in the Aviva and they’ve been very dominant there. Closest anyone has gotten to them incidentally was Munster (14 points) in round 6. After that it’s Ulster (15), Toulouse (19), Racing (26), Leicester (29) and Sharks (30). So I mean looking at those figures could only leave you feeling one way and that’s before you factor in the injuries.
@Dave Moran: I’m a Leinster fan Dave. Season ticket holder.
@Real Dev: don’t waste your time trying to have a constructive argument with a troll. Your point was well made
@Dave Moran: against a team with an empty trophy cabinet we always have a chance!!!!
@Philyclever@eircom.net: If you have trophies are you allowed use them for some kind of stat boost? Or is it more like an immunity idol, trade one trophy to chalk off one opponents score?
@Philyclever@eircom.net: Clever is an extremely ironic name in your case.
@baz dunne: Not the kind of bait you prefer to drag you from your hole Baz?
@baz dunne: Trolly McTroll
@Real Dev: ignore Dave. He is a tool for a leinster fan, and its a leinster fan say this
A tough ask made even harder with this news. Doubt we’ll see POM or Barron back.
Far from ideal but a good opportunity for a few young lads with no pressure. Back row of Kendellen, Hodnett and Coombes is a handful for anyone. Kleyn and Beirne as locks the same. Would have liked murray and Fekitoa but there’ll be good replacements there in Casey and Crowley too.
@JimDemps: of course there’s pressure. It’s a semi final. Just because Leinster will be favourites doesn’t mean there’s no pressure on Munster. There’s a final at stake.
@JimDemps: When does there start to be even the slightest bit of pressure on Munster? How many URC/League/European semi finals will this have been since they’ve last won one? 6 years or so I think. There’s always pressure on both teams in a semi final. Might be a bit more pressure on one of the teams, but at the business end of a season there’s pressure of some nature on both teams, imho.
@JimDemps: In reality it’s more pressure for Munster as this is their entire season and any players on the edge will see this as their last chance to impress for a seat on the plane to France. Whereas Leinster have a much bigger fish to deal with the following weekend which, if they win, will far overshadow any result from this game. They still have the pressure of expectation of course and it’s a semi so always pressure on both sides but your attempt to downplay it as if you’re involved in some kind of mind game with the opposing team and wanting to give your own team a blank cheque is very humourous.
@Dave Murray: ya fair point but I think in what’s a transition season with new coaches, whatever needed to be achieved has already been done. Anything from here is a bonus. I think most people will be writing munster off this weekend which is where I’m coming from.
@JimDemps: Most Munster people?
@JimDemps: Would rather see Beirne at 6 and Edogbo in lock. Forgot that Fekitoa was out, so that probs sees Crowley at 12! LOL!! literally coming on form in a high profile match against other challengers and he doesn’t play 10. ffs.
@JimDemps: Kendellen has displaced O’Donoghue, Hodnett is more than capable and Coombes should be knocking on the door for a WC spot although I’m not sure he’ll make it in the end. It’s a strong back row. Beirne and Kleyn in 4 and 5. Our front row has been good recently especially against South African opposition. In the forwards department, it’s our lineout has been out Achilles heel recently which is odd, it’s usually one of our strong suits. Murray will be a massive loss though, he’s really come back fighting when many, including me to be honest, had written him off.
@JimDemps: Think a lot of folk get pissey with your comments, Jim, because your always saying this game is free play/all the pressure is on the other side/ we have nothing to lose.
It’s an odd Outlook. Find it strange angle.
We have lots of pressure and everything to lose. In any match at this stage.
@Dave Murray: Jesus. Away from home against a team unbeaten at home in both European competitions this year and now down several starters. Of course there’s zero pressure on Munster, we are rank outsiders now. That’s how it works
@FoxyBoiiYT: I think the Munster team needs to stop focussing so much on what people outside of Munster say so. Unless it’s also Munster people writing them off?
@PJ Smith: Yeap, Jim Demps for one. Free shots here and there for this Munster teams, they’ll be locked by the time the game comes around.
@Dave Murray: interesting in next article, Murray Kinsella agrees with @jim demps and uses those same words “no pressure”
@FoxyBoiiYT: of course there’s pressure. It’s a semi final. Munster have win nothing in 11 years. They’ll be playing a weakened Leinster side. There’s a chance at an upset especially given the way Munster have gone the last 3 games where they’ve upset the odds every time. The injuries make it very hard but to say those players are under no pressure is wrong. It’s professional sport. Every fane has its own pressure and the chance to beat the arch enemy and get to a final brings pressure.
@Paul Burke: Pressure is part of elite sport lads, if they don’t feel pressure there’s something wrong with them. If they need the absence of pressure to perform they’ll never win a final.
@PJ Smith:Leinster 2/5 favourites to win the URC. Munster 11/1. Yeah it’s just Munster fans writing us off. Jesus you have zero attachment to reality
@FoxyBoiiYT: Again with the personal insults, seems to be your default approach which says a lot. Anyway, my question wasn’t was it just Munster fans writing off their team so you kinda missed the point there. The overall point is who are Munster listening to that they would treat this as a free shot? If it’s people who are writing them off then they shouldn’t be, that’s pretty defeatist. If Munster fans are already writing them off as well then that’s a worry from my perspective. I believe a core aspect of being a fan is always backing your team to win no matter the odds, there’s plenty of time to accept defeat after a game should it come to it. Throwing out caveats and excuses before the game is poor form from fans.
What’s the story with Conway? He has been injured for nearly all the season. It’ll be a Leinster B team so Munster still won’t get a better chance to beat them and end the trophy drought.
@Aidan Farrell: Long-term knee injury. Came back for a bit from it earlier in the season or else at the end of last season, but then aggravated it again. At 31 I imagine the road back to recovery from serious injury is much harder.
Genuinely disappointing but the right call and really great to see player welfare be taken so seriously Munster youth has really shone on the occasions they get the start in the last year or two and they will be chomping at the bit at the opportunity to finally get one over on Leinster. Depends on the selection of course but even not knowing at this stage, you’d have to say on paper Leinster have the makings of winners. However, no knockout rugby game was won on paper.
This is a huge chance for Crowley to cement his WC spot and for Kleyn, Combes and Frisch to push for one.
@Andrew Slazenger: Do you honestly think any Munster players are gonna make it into that “Ireland” team? It’s been sown up with only Leinster players allowed for a long time now. Oh and a Kiwis and Ozzie from Connacht
@FoxyBoiiYT: Allowed? Lol. Whether that was the case in the past, I don’t know but you certainly earn your right under Mr Farrell. Not many down south who have, sadly.
@Dave Murray: Sure keep telling yourself that. If you didn’t go to the correct Da4 private schools you need not apply. Simple as
@FoxyBoiiYT: Keep telling myself that plenty of lads down south are undeserving of a place in the Irish squad currently? I dont need to keep doing that to be fair Foxy.
@FoxyBoiiYT:
Okay let’s play. You’re saying that it depends wheter you went to the right D4 school? That statement really narrows it down to Michaels or Rock, however lets give you the benefit of the doubt abd say you meant any of the top 6 which include clongowes (kildare) Belvedere (north inner city).
So frontrow you’ve St andrews clongowes and new ross. I assume your gripe here is sheehan? As the other two are hardly rugby schools? Who do you suggest we replace him with
Second rows clongowes and michaels considering the clongowes is now munster i assume your issue is with Ryan? Who should replace him?
Backrow wesley college (last international eric miller in the 90’s) blackrock and pres cork. Im assuming pres cork is ok and world player if the year is safe who should replace dorr
@FoxyBoiiYT:
Half backs Gisborne Boys’ High School and St Marys college. So you want to replace jonny sexton but with who? Crowley is definitely an option and its been explored theres a few other options but given crowleys current trajectory he’ll be given a chance.
Centres Manurewa High School and blackrock college. I take it youve no issue with Bundee so who do we replace ringrose with? Chris farrell was an option and was used but unavailable this year. Frisch? Is he better than ringrose, he’s probably worth a shot and i think he’ll get one.
Back three- Daramalan College (hansen) Nelson College (lowe) keenan blackrock. So who should we replace keenan with? Mike haley? Personally think mike lowry offers more if we have to get rid of the D4 brigade
If Crowley starts at 12 and Zebos’ name is on the team sheet its done.
@thesaltyurchin: who would be a better option at 12? Scannell? I think if you have Crowley at 12, Healy at 10, and Carbery on the bench with Campbell and Coghlan, you’ve got an out-and-out 10 who will bring a bit of structure, play flexible playmakers around him. More positions covered and covered to a higher level.
@Brenda Collins: I think it sees Crowley off the plane and Healy on it. Bad vibes. (Personally, I’d play Scannell over Crowley at 12 as long as he doesn’t kick). Definitely want to see Coghlan and Campbell tho. Poor Campbell has already scored more tries than Haley but you know the Munster way, sit them out in UL while the club dies and they never feature at senior level unless they’re desperate. Currently doing the same with Quinn.
Meanwhile Leinster just go about their business in their own inimitable fashion