Howlett backs Munster to overcome Stander blow

Doug Howlett backed Munster’s strength in depth after the province’s back-row injury curse struck again ahead of Saturday’s crucial Heineken Cup showdown with Saracens.

After recent injuries to Sean Dougall, Niall Ronan and Tommy O’Donnell, Munster have now lost the services of newcomer CJ Stander, the South African who was set to be added to Rob Penney’s Heineken Cup panel.

After an impressive stint off the bench against Scarlets in Cork nine days ago, Stander scored two tries in his first start on Saturday against Glasgow, only to break a bone in his right hand in the same game. The 23-year-old finished the match and was unaware of the injury until seeing a specialist on Monday, who promptly ruled him out of action until next month.