Rowntree confident McDonald will plug Munster gap

Kiran McDonald of Munster during the United Rugby Championship match between Munster and Ulster at Thomond Park in Limerick. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Graham Rowntree has described short-term lock signing Kiran McDonald as “just what we need” to plug the hole in Munster’s second-row injury crisis.

McDonald was signed in the middle of last week when Thomas Ahern was the latest lock to be made unavailable to the head coach due to a shoulder injury. With Tadhg Beirne away for the next four weeks on Ireland duty, Munster are also without Jean Kleyn (ribs), Fineen Wycherley (shoulder), Paddy Kelly (head), and RG Snyman (knee) for the foreseeable future.