Blow for Munster as Sherry out again

Anthony Foley has been waiting for this week ever since his appointment as head Munster coach, and now that the first game of the new season — albeit a friendly against Gloucester at Kingsholm on Saturday — is almost here, the buzz about the man and all those around him was only too apparent at Cork IT yesterday.

The sense of expectation at this stage every year is massive and now that Munster have opted for an entirely homegrown coaching panel, the entire squad, the Red Army and indeed all Irish and European rugby followers can hardly conceal the excitement that lies ahead.

Sadly, rugby coaches have long since become accustomed to dealing with injuries to key players, and yesterday Foley revealed that hooker Mike Sherry, who has been out of action since last November because of knee and shoulder damage, faces yet another lengthy spell on the sidelines.