Injured Munster trio could return to face La Rochelle hints attack coach Mike Prendergast

HEAD SCRATCHER: Attack Coach Mike Prendergast is hoping to have a number of players back from injury soon. Pic: ©INPHO/James Crombie

Mike Prendergast has raised the possibility of Thaakir Abrahams, Craig Casey and Jean Kleyn returning from injury for Munster’s Champions Cup Round of 16 tie at La Rochelle on April 5.

The province’s lengthy injury list appears to be easing with a number of players expected to make returns in the coming weeks, including prop Josh Wycherley and centres Alex Nankivell and Sean O’Brien.

But attack coach Prendergast also sounded an optimistic note on Munster’s longer-term absentees with a difficult European away day in the offing in seven weeks.

South African lock Kleyn managed just one game for Munster after sustaining an eye injury against Leinster in November 2023 on his return from the Springbok’s successful World Cup defence in France and then elected to go for knee surgery.

His comeback from that came on the opening day of this season and he played six times before the November Test window, when a neck injury in South Africa’s Autumn Nations Series camp followed by a thigh issue has sidelined him since.

Both scrum-half Casey and back-three summer signing Abrahams sustained serious injuries in the Champions Cup pool defeat at Castres on December 13 with Casey hurting his meniscus and undergoing knee surgery while Abrahams dislocated a shoulder.

Speaking on Tuesday in Limerick as Munster geared up for this Saturday’s temporary resumption of their URC campaign, a Thomond Park clash with Scarlets, Prendergast said: “We’ll see Josh Wycherley back this week, he’s been out for a while and they’re step by step coming back to us. There’s still a few a small bit away.

“Looking down the road you’re looking at the likes of Jean Kleyn, Craig Casey and Thaakir Abrahams, they’re a small bit away.

“It’s hard to tell when but they’re going to be in and around (the La Rochelle tie), maybe a week before or it may be a week or two after it. It’s kind of a wait and see game at the moment but it’s all progressing quite well.

“Edwin Edogbo is probably in that discussion as well. He’s back and he’s going to start integrating in our sessions in the next couple of weeks. We have to be very careful because he’s been out for so long but he’s progressing very well.

“Closer by you’ll have Alex Nankivell hopefully back in the next week or two, which is great, Sean O’Brien is back doing a bit and is probably touch and go for the weekend. If not, you’re hoping he’ll be back soon as well.

“So straight away that adds to your depth and it’s probably out in the backline that we’ve been going to the same players a small bit and they’ve stuck to it very, very well but by getting three or four backs back it shares the workload.

“So the next few weeks to a month we’ll be getting a number of players back and we’ve seen that even two or three players (returning) can make a big, big difference to any team.”

Ireland have retained Munster’s contingent from last Sunday’s bonus-point Six Nations win in Scotland when Tadhg Beirne, Calvin Nash and Peter O’Mahony started and half-backs Conor Murray and Jack Crowley came off the bench in a comprehensive 32-18 victory at Murrayfield.

Prendergast admitted he was surprised to see fly-half Crowley come off the bench for Ireland at full-back for the final 15 minutes as interim head coach Simon Easterby gave starting 10 Sam Prendergast the full 80 minutes in a player of the match performance.

"I suppose I was (surprised), you're always expecting a 10 that’s on the bench to come on to 10. I know Simon Easterby said after the game they wanted to get tow ball players onto the pitch as a 10 and a 15, it just didn’t materialise that way.

“I understand that but look, I’m sure Jack would have been more pleased if he had come on at 10 but he’s shown over the previous week what he can do. I think he’s shown that over the last while as well.

"Thinking back to the Northampton (Champions Cup pool) game, I thought he’d a fantastic game there and when he came on against England, the same thing.

"So you’re talking now about two very, very good… and look at someone like Ciarán Frawley as well, who is a very good Test 10 and Ireland are in a very comfortable position in that position and the future looks bright."