MUNSTER HAVE SEVERAL players back again as they prepare for Friday’s URC clash against Benetton at Musgrave Park (kick-off: 7.35pm).
Craig Casey, Gavin Coombes and Jeremy Loughman all return, having been part of Ireland’s Six Nations squad.
However, Tadhg Beirne, Dave Kilcoyne, Peter O’Mahony, Conor Murray and Joey Carbery, all of whom featured in Ireland’s Triple Crown-clinching win over Scotland last weekend, are set to miss out, though they will likely be back in time for the clash at home to Leinster on 2 April, while Andrew Conway is unavailable for selection owing to a knee niggle.
There is a boost with the news that Jason Jenkins has returned to full training and is available for selection after recovering from an abdomen injury.
However, Mike Haley will be in rehab in the coming weeks after suffering a low-grade knee injury against Lions on Saturday.
Thomas Ahern (thigh), Keith Earls (thigh) and Roman Salanoa (ankle) have all increased their training load this week and are hopeful of a return to training next week.
RG Snyman (knee), Jack Daly (ankle), James French (knee) and Liam O’Connor (knee) are also all continuing their rehab.
BBC – Thierry Henry, Fabregas and Alan Shearer -an absolute snooze fest
@Ronan O Connor: Fr. Stone had also been lined up for the knockout stages!
@T Dawg: Fr Stone. Blast from the past. Lol.
Can’t wait for Roy Keane to sow it into England after they go out in the quarter finals
@Eoin Fitzgerald: i preferred it the first 5 times he did it. His rants can be funny but he’s poor pundit in my opinion, Little tactical insight, overly negative and its obvious he doesn’t do much research. On the flipside Neville’s forensic analysis of everything to the enth degree can get a bit old too. There’s a great interview with Brian Clough about pundits from the 80′s and robbing people of their ability to form their own insights and opinions about the game. I’m beginning to agree with him more and more as time goes on. Most of them are at best boring, at worst infuriating, and very few justify not going out to make the tae at half time.
@Fred spins kdb: I get the impression that there is no such thing a good pundit for you. If they’re analytic that’s not good. If they speak their mind, that’s not good either. I must say I like roy Keane as a pundit. I actually enjoy listening to what he has to say. Speaks the truth whether people like it or not.
@Eoin Fitzgerald: maybe you are right. I think Carragher is good.Neville is way too preachy and believing of his own hype these days for me. I get the sense he believes he is the man who single handedly took down to the super league, as if working for sky sports is no way connected to gouging money from the everyday football fan. I think Roy can be a good listen to at times, but he doesn’t have much to offer in terms of genuine insight, he kind of lost me with his ‘everyone who can trap the ball is an international these days’. Tearing the back off players becomes kind of less edgy and more boring and predictable if you are doing it all time.
@Eoin Fitzgerald: think Brian Kerr is good aswell. Unreal knowledge and engaging speaker.
I’m guessing RTE still has all the euro games yeah?? Even though we didn’t qualify
@Aidan: Yeah they do with Richie Sadlier, Kevin Doyle and Damien Duff.
@Eoin Fitzgerald: what a bore ! ITV for me
@Gary O: RTE panel hasn’t been the same since Liam, Johnny and Dunphy left (Didi too, hopefully he can back after pandemic)
@Eoin Fitzgerald: agreed 100%