Rugby

RG Snyman set to be fit for Munster’s game against Northampton

Denis Leamy not so optimistic about Calvin Nash’s availability for Champions Cup last 16 match

Munster's RG Snyman. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho

Gerry Thornley
Wed Apr 3 2024 - 17:40

Denis Leamy has confirmed that RG Snyman should be passed fit for Munster’s make-or-break Champions Cup Round of 16 tie away to Premiership leaders Northampton Saints at Franklin’s Gardens next Sunday (kick-off 12.30pm).

The South African two-time World Cup winner missed Munster’s clunky 20-15 URC win over Cardiff last Saturday night through illness and although not fully recovered, is on course to play.

“RG trained today,” said Leamy after Munster’s Wednesday session in their HPC in the University of Limerick. “He had a virus over the weekend. Yeah, he was huffing and puffing a little bit but we hope he’ll be fine.”

However, Munster’s defence coach was not so optimistic about Calvin Nash, who has been sidelined for their last couple of games since going off near the hour mark with a calf injury in Ireland’s title-clinching finale to the Six Nations against Scotland.

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“Calvin is still too early to say. He didn’t train today and it’s still early days to say whether he’ll come through or not,” said Leamy, who conceded that the winger’s chances of being fit by Sunday were 50-50 at best. “Yeah, I would say so.”

Munster are resigned to being without Oli Jager (knee), Fineen Wycherley (knee), Dave Kilcoyne (shoulder), Diarmuid Barron (foot), Roman Salanoa (knee), Jean Kleyn (knee/eye), Paddy Patterson (knee), Liam Coombes (shoulder) and Patrick Campbell (shoulder), while academy backrow forward Brian Gleeson underwent ankle surgery last month and is continuing to rehab.

Gleeson has just signed his first professional contract with the province, so commencing a two-year deal for next season, while Leamy said that a decision regarding Peter O’Mahony’s future will be announced “very soon”.

Munster's Peter O'Mahony. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho

The Irish captain’s central contract expires at the end of this season, and he has been offered a deal by Munster which the Union are expected to top up. “That’s still ongoing, but I’m led to believe there will be white smoke very soon,” Leamy said.

O’Mahony’s Munster and Irish team-mate Conor Murray, also 34, has agreed a similar one-year deal, an announcement which Leamy hailed.

“Like every player that plays well into their 30s, he’s needed a little bit of luck with injury as well. Conor has had his injuries as well but he’s responded well to them and come back.

“He’s had a tremendous career for Munster, Ireland, the Lions, one of the best players, certainly, that I’ve played with, and of the last 25 years an incredible talent.”

Despite being reduced to 14 men before half-time, Northampton were deserving 26-23 winners when the sides met in the pool stage at Thomond Park in January.

“I think it’s a great challenge, they’re a very, very good attack. We know that from playing against them the last couple of years,” he said.

“They’re really well put together, they have special players like Alex Mitchell, they have power players like [Juarno] Augustus, [Curtis] Langdon, Courtney Lawes comes to mind. Really good players who are handful.

“You look at the talent that Fin Smith, at 10, has, so there’s challenges right across the park. We just have to concentrate on ourselves.

“We’ve been pretty good this season [in defence]. We have, I think, the lowest tries conceded in our own domestic league and we have to fall back on things like that, trust our principles, our decision-making and bring a little bit of physicality and energy to it. We’ll be well in the mix hopefully,” Leamy added.

Gerry Thornley

Gerry Thornley

Gerry Thornley is Rugby Correspondent of The Irish Times

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