Rassie Erasmus says injuries may force Munster to fill the gaps

Munster coach Rassie Erasmus knew all about his fellow South African Gerbrandt Grobler and so regarded him as the ideal player to fill the gaps left in the Munster second-row by the departures to France of Donnacha Ryan and Dave Foley and the long term injuries to Darren O’Shea and Dave O’Callaghan.

The 25-year-old, 6 ft 7 inch, 19 stone giant from Western Province was duly signed on a one-year contract but then fate intervened and Grobler sustained a serious ankle injury in the pre-season warm up game against Worcester.

It will keep him out of action until the new year and that’s also the the expectancy for O’Shea (shoulder) and O’Callaghan (knee) as all three recover from surgery on their various ailments. It could be that Erasmus will again come knocking on the door of David Nucifora, the Australian charged with managing the affairs of this country’s elite players.