Munster weigh Ireland stars’ involvement for URC clash with Stormers

Tadhg Beirne, Jack Crowley, Craig Casey and Tom Farrell all featured for Ireland in the defeat to South Africa but were back training with Munster on Monday. 

Munster face the Stormers at Thomond Park on Saturday. Pic: ©INPHO/Tom O’Hanlon

Munster may turn to their returning Ireland players for this Saturday’s URC top-of-the-table clash at home to the Stormers as they put their unbeaten start to the season on the line against the league leaders.

Captain Tadhg Beirne, fly-half Jack Crowley, scrum-half Craig Casey and centre Tom Farrell all featured in last Saturday’s physically demanding Ireland defeat to South Africa but were training with their province in Limerick on Monday as preparations began for the meeting of the URC’s last remaining unbeaten teams. Lock/flanker Tom Ahern also returned from Ireland camp having not played during the November Test window.

Munster have also welcomed back seven players to full training after spells on the sidelines with Thaakir Abrahams, Diarmuid Barron, Conor Bartley, Mike Haley, John Hodnett, Alex Kendellen and Niall Scannell all back in the selection mix for head coach Clayton McMillan, who will name his team for the Thomond Park showdown on Thursday.

A decision will be made on the availability of lock Edwin Edogbo following the concussion he sustained in Munster’s bonus-point derby win over Leinster at Croke Park last month while assistant coach Alex Codling on Monday said the Ireland contingent would be assessed for their readiness case by case.

"They’ve come off the back of a tough series, physically, and none more so than the game on Saturday so they will be back training today," forwards coach Codling said.

"And the one thing about the boys, whenever they come back into the environment, they’ve come bouncing in. The boys are glad to have them back, as we coaches are.

"That will be a decision later in the week in terms of where they are physically and mentally after the autumn series, (but they are not ruled out) at this stage… it’s very much on an individual-by-individual basis."

Munster said Edogbo was increasing his training load ahead of a determination for selection later in the week although Codling added he was now carrying a separate minor injury and had been cleared to play following the completion of his return to play protocols.

“That’s absolutely fine, it’s just another little injury he’s picked up training this week and there’ll be a decision around selection in a day or two’s time but he’s tracking well.” 

Munster said Ireland wing Calvin Nash had returned to non-contact training as his exposure increases following a shoulder injury which kept him out of the autumn Test reckoning while fellow back-three player Andrew Smith was increasing his training content/rehab after the knee and hamstring issues he sustained during the Leinster win. Back rower Brian Gleeson, who like Edogbo, was unable to take up his invitation to train with Ireland at the start of the Test window, is continuing to rehab the elbow injury he picked up at Croke Park.

Codling also outlined the return to play scenarios for tighthead prop Oli Jager, absent since October 10, also with a head injury. The former Crusader has returned to non-contact training and is awaiting a specialist review prior to his return to contact training.

“There’s two scenarios really. The first thing is just getting signed off after the injury itself, and he’s come back and done some non-contact training.

“Then the next is to be signed off to come back to play fully. So, he’s in a good place, obviously in terms of timelines it will be between himself and seeing the specialist and then liaising with the club. So that will happen in a very short time.”