'When it rains, it pours' - McMillan hoping Munster injury issues will ease ahead of Bulls clash

The Reds boss is expecting to see some reinforcements this week. 

Munster are clapped in by Glasgow Warriors on Saturday night. Pic: INPHO/Tom O'Hanlon

From a rare vascular lower leg injury to a finger cut slicing an apple, Munster are having to negotiate myriad fitness issues as the new season gets underway. Yet there was a positive update from Clayton McMillan as he looked ahead to this Saturday’s home clash with the Bulls.

Munster’s 26-20 URC-opening defeat to Glasgow Warriors at Thomond Park at the weekend also came with a couple of injuries, with matchday captain and hooker Diarmuid Barron failing a Head Injury Assessment and full-back Mike Haley hobbling off, both in the first half.

Yet the head coach is looking forward to a number of returnees to training this week as Munster aim to regroup and avoid a second successive home defeat against a Bulls side which hammered them 45-14 in last season’s play-off quarter-final in Pretoria.

Fly-halves Jack Crowley, stood down with that lower leg issue, and Tom Wood (shoulder) remain sidelined until at least Christmas and the new year respectively but there are more imminent comebacks in the offing, both from the treatment room and post-international rest.

“I think we might get the benefit of one or two of the internationals who didn't play a lot of rugby on the summer tour,” McMillan said.

"Edwin (Edogbo) is probably still, I'd say, two weeks away. But we get Shane Daly and a few other guys will come back.

"I think over the next two or three weeks we'll get a lot back, and that'll be great, because we're having to rely through the pre-season and the early part of the season on the same blokes, so I don't want them running on fumes. But it's great for them to get an opportunity, and we know that we've got some good cattle.

"I don't know how many, maybe 10/12 starters that didn't take any part in the game today, and when they come back in, that'll strengthen us."

Both wing Daly and lock/flanker Tom Ahern had been ruled out of the Glasgow game on Saturday with minor issues, McMillan explaining the latter’s injury with a wry smile.

"He got stitches in his finger. He cut his finger open with a knife, slicing an apple or some … dumb thing like that.

"So, yeah, look, it got a little bit infected. At a push, we could have played him today, but we rolled the dice, and others did well today. He'll be back in the mix next week.

"Yeah,” he added, “when it rains, it pours.

"Diarmuid (Barron) failed his HIA 1, I think. He's all good. He could be a possibility, but he needs to go through the process. Mike Haley, I haven't caught up with him, but it looked like he had a pretty decent bang or something to his leg, so he might be 50/50.” 

Ireland-capped tighthead prop Jack Aungier, a summer signing from Connacht, could also be in the mix for a Munster debut this Saturday.

“So he just tweaked his back in the training a week and a half ago, I suppose, before we played our last pre-season game, and he's fine. He'll be back next week. He'll be a contender next week.

"So a few bodies, but, you know, we're still probably a couple of weeks away from getting the majority back."