Breaking: Munster and Ireland No 10 Jack Crowley sidelined until January

'VERY IMPORTANT PLAYER': Munster's Jack Crowley is set for more time on the sidelines. Pic: Nick Elliott/Inpho

Munster and Ireland will be without Jack Crowley until January as the fly-half rehabilitates a lower limb vascular injury.

Munster revealed the prognosis for their first-choice number 10 on Thursday as they prepared for their opening pre-season fixture in France at La Rochelle on Friday evening. 

An extended squad for the Stade Marcel-Deflandre clash against Ronan O’Gara’s Top 14 team La Rochelle is scheduled to be named on Thursday afternoon.

Head coach Clayton McMillan will be without a number of players, including the Ireland internationals involved in this summer’s Nations Championship squad which travelled to Australia and New Zealand in July. 

They will be re-integrated during the early rounds of the new URC season, which begins at home to Glasgow Warriors on September 26.

Crowley, however, will not feature until at least after Christmas, meaning he will miss the Nations Championship Tests for Ireland this November, having been assessed by specialists for the injury which has kept him sidelined since he was withdrawn following the pre-game warm-up against Ulster on April 25.

“Jack Crowley is a very important player for Munster and Ireland with a big future in the game and ensuring he gets back to 100 per cent is the priority,” McMillan said.

Munster also announced that new signing Will Harrison, the Australian fly-half/full-back, suffered a reaggravation of a knee injury in pre-season and is being managed by the medical department, potentially leaving McMillan with JJ Hanrahan as the only fit and available senior number 10 for the start of the season having finished the last campaign strongly in Crowley’s absence.

With Tony Butler leaving Munster during the summer, the province could also have to call on academy and Ireland Under-20 playmakers Tom Wood, who made his senior debut off the bench against Glasgow last January, and first-year Charlie O’Shea.

The head coach added: “Will Harrison’s injury is a frustrating one for him because he has come into a new environment and made an immediate impression, but the reaggravation is a setback and we want to make sure he’s in the best possible condition before he takes the field.

“We have a good mix of experience and youth available in the out-half position with JJ Hanrahan and academy men Tom Wood and Charlie O’Shea.

Munster's Jack Crowley. Pic: Dan Clohessy/Inpho

“JJ has played 160 games for Munster and is our third-highest points-scorer of all-time so he is a player we know we can count on.

“Tom Wood and Charlie O’Shea are very exciting young players who have come up through the Munster pathway and excelled with the Ireland U20s last season.

“Tom made his Munster debut last season with Charlie joining the Academy earlier this month and they will get opportunities this year so we are excited to see what they can do.” 

Edwin Edogbo, Tom Farrell (both shoulder) and Calvin Nash (hamstring) underwent successful surgeries in the summer having each sustained their injuries in that URC home win over Ulster and Munster said all three were expected to return to action during the opening block of URC fixtures.

Back-rower Ruadhán Quinn has undergone surgery on an ankle injury this month and is expected back for the early rounds of the season while South Africa-capped hooker Marnus van der Merwe, signed from URC rivals Scarlets, arrived from west Wales with a calf injury sustained at the end of last season but has started to integrate into team training having suffered a calf injury at the end of last season.

Looking ahead to the La Rochelle clash, McMillan said: "The pre-season game in France is a vital part of our pre-season programme and getting valuable time together is a great opportunity for our squad and management team to build on all of the great work we have done over the past four weeks.

"The players enjoyed important time off with family and friends over the summer and came back in really refreshed, full of energy and in really good physical condition.

"That has allowed us to hit the ground running when pre-season started last month and spending a number of days together in France is a great opportunity for the team and management to make another big step forward ahead of the new season and consolidate all the progress we have made."