Craig Casey hopeful of returning for Munster clash with La Rochelle 

The scrum-half injured his knee during Munster's Champions Cup game against Castres in December.

Munster performance consultant Chris Boyd and Craig Casey during the Champions Cup match against Saracens. Picture: ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

Craig Casey hopes to be back in action in time for Munster's last-16 Champions Cup clash with La Rochelle on April 5. 

The scrum-half injured his knee 30 minutes into Munster's Champions Cup defeat to Castres in mid-December. He subsequently underwent surgery to repair the meniscus injury.

"Ahead of schedule at the minute," Casey said on The Late Late Show when asked by host Patrick Kielty how his rehab is going. 

"Don't want to jinx it, but it's going well at the minute. Hoping to be back at the start of April. Fingers crossed I can get on the pitch for that La Rochelle game."

Casey added that he is "gutted" to miss out on this year's Six Nations but he believes Ireland can make history without him by winning a third consecutive championship. 

"Very jealous of the lads and what they can do over the next few weeks," he said.

"Excited to see it though. It would be very nice to go three in a row. I think the lads can do it."