Munster are taking their Thomond show on the road to Dublin for their ‘home’ semi-final with Saracens and they will want to be locked and loaded.
Along with provincial concerns there is also the small matter of this month’s Lions squad announcement, so injuries around now are not ideal.
Injuries to back-row totems Peter O’Mahony and CJ Stander are especially unwelcome, so the update coming out of University of Limerick in the wake of Saturday’s defeat of Toulouse makes for essential reading.
We're praying too Pete… https://t.co/ub49FwBi59 #Munster
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It is, like so much in life, a mix of the good and the bad. the rough and the smooth.
O’Mahony, that indomitable force, is good to go. Stander’s ankle problem requires further investigation.
Munster released the following this afternoon.
“In reviewing the bumps and bruises from Saturday’s quarter final win against Toulouse at Thomond Park, CJ Stander requires further assessment for an ankle sprain, while Peter O’Mahony, Dave Kilcoyne (both dead legs) and Keith Earls (back) are all expected to be introduced to full training this week.
“Conor Murray continues to be monitored for the shoulder knock that ruled him out of Saturday’s encounter.
“Francis Saili will be hoping for further game time this week after securing two minutes on Saturday when he made an earlier than expected return to action after sustaining a knee injury against Cardiff Blues. Similarly Ian Keatley’s return from a knee injury, sustained during the same PRO12 encounter, has also progressed positively with the out-half due to take a further part in training this week.”
With the defending champions rumbling into the Aviva in under three weeks, Munster could really use all those men fit and firing.
For their own sakes, Murray, Stander and O’Mahony will want to be standing on their own two feet when Warren Gatland names his Lions squad in a fortnight.
Anxious times, exciting times.
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