Concern over Tadhg Beirne but RG Snyman to return

ON THE MEND: RG Snyman during a Munster training session. Pic: INPHO/Ben Brady

Munster head coach Graham Rowntree will be as anxious as Andy Farrell to learn the outcome of Tadhg Beirne’s visit to a specialist on Monday following the lock’s leg injury against France but the province looks set to welcome back RG Snyman against Scarlets in a fortnight.

Ireland lock Beirne was due to see a specialist on Monday to determine his treatment plan for the lower leg injury he sustained in the Guinness Six Nations win over France last Saturday. He was on crutches, his left leg in a protective boot, as the full-time whistle sounded on the memorable 32-19 victory, with national boss Farrell declaring post-match that the prognosis was “not looking good”.

That will be sure to have reverberations at Munster, where there will be concern over the British and Irish Lions’ availability for their Heineken Champions Cup Round of 16 trip to play the Sharks in Durban on March 30.

Snyman, meanwhile is nearing a return from the second of the serious knee injuries that have restricted the South African World Cup winner to just four appearances in his three seasons with Munster since joining from Japanese club Honda Heat in the summer of 2020 with Rowntree understood to have pencilled in the BKT United Rugby Championship clash with Scarlets at Musgrave Park in Cork on March 3 for the giant Springbok’s latest comeback launch.

If the 6ft 9ins “Bomb Squad” member, who helped propel Rassie Erasmus’s South Africans to the 2019 World Cup, was to make his return then it would be against the side that provided the opposition for his most recent outing, at Thomond Park in October 2021 but with a March return the official target, it could come back in Limerick against Glasgow on the 25th of next month.

In the meantime, Munster have welcomed back Gavin Coombes, Keith Earls and Roman Salanoa for this Friday’s URC resumption at home to Ospreys after Ireland announced a reduced 25-player group to take part in a two-day mini-camp at the IRFU’s High Performance Centre.

Farrell has sent back a dozen players to their provinces for this weekend’s Round 14 league games while he will keep back a core group to begin preparations for the February 25 clash with Italy in Rome.

Hooker Rob Herring will remain with Ireland as he proceeds through the Return to Play protocols following a high hit from Uini Atonio, for which the France tighthead prop received a yellow card. Atonio will appear before an independent disciplinary hearing tomorrow having been cited for the 25-minute incident and could face further punishment for the act of foul play.

Ireland will also monitor a number of further fitness issues in Farrell’s squad with captain Johnny Sexton to be managed for the groin injury he picked up early in the second half at Aviva Stadium last Saturday.

Five players missed the victory over France with hooker Dan Sheehan set to continue his hamstring rehabilitation under the supervision of the Ireland medical team while Cian Healy, Tadhg Furlong, Robbie Henshaw and Jamison Gibson Park will continue their respective rehab programmes.

In addition to their Ireland contingent, Munster will also welcome back Ben Healy from Scotland camp.

Ireland Squad Mini-Camp, February 16-17: B Aki (Connacht), R Baird (Leinster), F Bealham (Connacht), R Byrne (Leinster), C Casey (Munster), J Conan (Leinster), J Crowley (Munster), C Doris (Leinster), M Hansen (Connacht), I Henderson (Ulster), R Herring (Ulster), H Keenan (Leinster), R Kelleher (Leinster), J Lowe (Leinster), D Kilcoyne (Munster), S McCloskey (Ulster), C Murray (Munster), P O’Mahony (Munster), T O’Toole (Ulster), A Porter (Leinster), G Ringrose (Leinster), J Ryan (Leinster), J Sexton (Leinster), D Sheehan (Leinster), J van der Flier (Leinster).

Released to Provinces

Connacht: C Blade, C Prendergast; Leinster: J Larmour, J McCarthy, M Milne, J O’Brien, J Osborne; Munster: G Coombes, K Earls, R Salanoa; Ulster: T Stewart, J Stockdale.