Munster hope to call on Beirne for Ulster quarter-final

Tadhg Beirne at Munster training on Monday

Tadhg Beirne could be set for a return to Munster colours for Friday’s United Rugby Championship quarter-final clash against Ulster in Belfast after upping his training load following a thigh injury.

The Ireland and British & Irish Lions forward has not played for his province since January having sustained his injury during the Six Nations campaign and Munster have badly missed his presence at the breakdown with Gavin Coombes, John Hodnett and Dave Kilcoyne also sidelined.

Beirne indicated last week that he was focussing on a return this weekend as the URC play-offs get under way and Monday’s squad update from Munster confirmed he was stepping up his training load this week although his availability to face Ulster will not be determined until later in the week.

Head coach Johann van Graan had some other good news with the return of lock Jean Kleyn and scrum-half Neil Cronin to training this week after overcoming respective neck and ankle injuries while back-rowers Coombes and captain Peter O’Mahony, who both missed the final league game of the season, a 35-25 loss to an understrength Leinster at Aviva Stadium on May 21, returned to training last week.

Munster had welcomed back Andrew Conway for that game following a two-month absence with a knee injury but the Ireland wing was removed after aggravating the problem area and his availability will also be reviewed in the coming days.

The province said Alex Kendellen is due to complete the return to play protocols this week after sustaining a head knock in that same Leinster game.

South African Test referee Jaco Peyper was on Monday announced as the referee for the Kingspan Stadium clash as the URC revealed its appointments for the weekend’s quarter-finals. Italian official Andrea Piardi will take charge of Leinster’s tie with Glasgow Warriors at the RDS on Saturday afternoon while there will be Irish referees at the helm of the other two last-eight games. Andrew Brace has the whistle for Saturday’s early all-South African clash between the Bulls and Sharks at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria while Frank Murphy oversees the final quarter-final in Cape Town between the Stormers and Edinburgh later that evening.