While Munster are still awaiting word on the extent of the injuries to captain Peter O’Mahony (shoulder) and Jack O’Donoghue (ankle), they are still aware that they will be missing two of their stalwart full-backs in Saturday’s meeting with Leinster at the Aviva Stadium.
“We are waiting for scan reports,” said forwards coach Andi Kyriacou at the team’s HPC at the University of Limerick after training on Tuesday. “They have not been available for training, so we have been working without them. Once we know what the updates are in terms of availability, we will make some decisions.”
A prolonged absence in either case would be a major setback as Munster face a midweek block of fixtures, with three interpros, the visit of Glasgow and the first two Champions Cup games against Bayonne and Exeter.
In the short term, the emergence of last season’s Irish U20 stars Ruadhan Quinn and Brian Gleeson, who have already come off the bench three times this season, is encouraging.
Also notable is the form of Gavin Coombes, who has started all five games and completed the last four, as well as John Hodnett and Alex Kendellen.
“It’s really exciting the depth we have in these areas,” said Kyriacou. “Last season and so far this season, we’ve shown that we’re good enough to bring in the next guy. We’re confident in what they can do, and given the way they’re training currently and the way they’ve played in the early rounds of the competition, there’s no fear of putting guys in.”
There is also an opportunity to move Tadhg Beirne from the second row to the blindside wing position, especially with World Cup-winning lock Jean Kleyn returning to training on Tuesday.
“He trains with us and does everything on the field. He’s moving well, the meat and drink of his game is collisions, and he’s been really good again today. It’s incredibly nice to have him back in the building and back on the field. He was a great player for us last season and today he looks like he hasn’t missed a beat. I am really happy to have him back and hopefully he will be available for the weekend.”
Kyriacou confirmed that new signing Oli Jager would not arrive until Thursday or Friday so, as expected, he will not feature on Saturday. Stephen Archer therefore looks set to break Donncha O’Callaghan’s record in Munster next Saturday.
“The guy is one of the best,” enthuses Kyriacou. “He’s incredibly generous to the younger players. He’s very welcoming and kind to new people coming into the building. He’s like a Toyota Hilux, with about 400,000 kilometers on it. It never breaks down.
“He’s a brilliant person in the building, and it’s incredibly fortunate to work with someone like him on a daily basis. We know that as coaches and also the group of players. We understand what it’s like to have someone like him in the building.”
Kyriacou admitted that a highly motivated Leinster, who have four straight wins with bonus points, will test Munster in a way they have not been tested so far this season.
“There is a reason why their record looks the way it does. They are a great team. They have a lot of players who have been at the club for many years. They understand their game plan perfectly and they can execute it.
They have great coaches who plan things incredibly well in detail and yes, we will need to be at 100 percent to beat them this weekend.”
“In the semi-final we showed that they don’t give up. I know it’s cliché, but it will be a 23-man game and we will have to go for 80.”
Kyriacou said: “It’s more about making sure that as a group we stick to our game plan than in the previous five games. We do things with great intent and intensity, and we stay in the game, and we make sure we keep the ball in play at a high tempo and challenge them in all areas of the game.”
“If we do that, we know we have a lot of talent on the field that can put us in a position to win the game.”