Sherry ruled out for up to eight weeks

MUNSTER training might have had a stellar appearance to it yesterday but look a little closer and the creases on coach Tony McGahan’s furrowed brow were all too evident.

Already without the luckless Jerry Flannery, McGahan confirmed yesterday they have lost Mike Sherry for six to eight weeks with an ankle injury sustained in a club game for Garryowen last weekend.

That could rule the hooker, who spent a few actionless days at the World Cup after Flannery’s return, out of the pre-Christmas rounds of the Heineken Cup, which kicks off on November 12 at home to Northampton.

McGahan welcomes back a plethora of his star turns from New Zealand for Friday’s RaboDirect Pro12 League tie at home to Aironi, but it’s standing room only in the treatment room.

“We have certainly had our fair share of it over the last two or three years with key players out,” sighed McGahan in Thomond Park yesterday. “Mike Sherry didn’t participate in the World Cup squad, came back to get some game time, hurt himself in the 65th minute of a Garryowen game last weekend and is out for six to eight weeks.

“David [Wallace] was injured during World Cup preparation, he’ll be out for six or seven months from the time of the injury. Troy Smith is probably another three or four months away, Felix Jones will be the middle of January at this stage, Peter Borlase is due back to play in maybe two or three weeks, while at least Darragh Hurley is available for selection in maybe one week.”

He added: “Jerry Flannery is indefinite at this stage, he’s over in Germany getting specialist advice now so we’re hopeful to find out more today.”

Half-backs Conor Murray and Ronan O’Gara are named for Friday at Musgrave Park, along with the versatile Keith Earls and forwards Paul O’Connell, Donncha O’Callaghan, Donnacha Ryan, Denis Leamy and Damian Varley.

At least the World Cup contingent didn’t bring home New Zealand’s appetite for injured out-halves. In fact, while O’Gara was away, McGahan was taken with the performances of ex-Connacht man Ian Keatley.

“We think we have four good 10s and it is an important position. We all saw where New Zealand ended up with their fourth-choice 10 with Stephen Donald. We’re lucky in some positions that we have huge depth.”

The Munster coach feels that the most important lesson to emerge from the World Cup was the enduring importance of attitude and mind-set.

“The attitude and motivation of players is critical. We saw some tremendous upsets. The game is still about bringing that attitude each week. The sides that do are able to play with that power and that pace. We saw Wales, Ireland and New Zealand demonstrate it.

“Talent and training and all that will certainly play their part but how does one side turn up one day and win, turn up the next day and not perform? Nothing to do with talent, nothing to do with resource, it’s down to what is driving that individual, what is driving that team.

“That’s the key — we’ll all like to bottle it, wouldn’t we?”

Munster Squad (v Aironi): Forwards: M Horan, W du Preez, J Hayes, BJ Botha, S Archer, D Varley, D Fogarty, M O’Driscoll, D Ryan, D O’Callaghan, P O’Connell, B Holland, D Leamy, N Ronan, P O’Mahony, T O’Donnell, D O’Callaghan, J Coughlan Backs: T O’Leary, C Murray, D Williams, P Stringer, I Keatley, R O’Gara, K Earls, D Barnes, L Mafi, W Chambers, D Howlett, D Hurley, J Murphy, S Deasy.