CRAIG CASEY WAS afforded a week off following Munster’s December defeat to Leinster. He used the opportunity to get away for a few days in Dubai, but it wasn’t quite the switch-off he hoped, with the frustration of that interpro loss lingering into his holidays.
“I struggled to relax,” says Casey, who is looking to right a few wrongs in France this weekend. Munster face Toulon in round three of the Champions Cup on Sunday, going into the game on the back of their worst performance under Clayton McMillan.
Play like they did in last Friday’s 28-3 loss to Ulster, and they’ll be blown out the gate at the Stade Mayol. The good news for Munster is that Casey will be back in the side, alongside his fellow Ireland internationals. In previous seasons, these were the weeks where players like Peter O’Mahony, Conor Murray and Dave Kilcoyne were so central to setting a tone. Now the focus is more on the likes of Casey and Jack Crowley as the younger leaders below captain Tadhg Beirne.
The scrum-half is set to return to the Munster team this weekend. Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
“There’s definitely a shift in the personalities that are probably leading weeks and stuff like that,” says Casey.
“But over the last few years, I think we’ve taken steps forward as young fellas in terms of leading that. I think you definitely miss the personalities around the changing room and then around setting certain stuff, but I think some lads have really stepped up and filled voids and filled it in different ways as well, which is always good, not trying to be the exact same person as a Peter O’Mahony because I don’t think you’re ever going to emulate someone like Pete.
It’s about finding your own way to lead and driving that home and not being afraid to be yourself.”
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These are important weeks for Casey. Helping Munster get results against Toulon and Castres is the top priority, but he’s also acutely aware that it’s less than a month to Ireland’s Six Nations opener against France in Paris (5 Feb). Before kick-off on Sunday, as usual, Casey will take time to watch back his own highlights, as well as looking to other scrum-halfs for inspiration.
“I’m trying to change up the players I would look at later in the week depending on what kind of game I’m trying to develop at that time or what’s important for the weekend,” he explains.
“I still have my highlight real either the morning of the game or the night before, and build my belief in how good I can be.
“Like, I watch some amount of rugby and you’re watching nines from all over the world and it’s probably important to realise that I’m not the player that someone say like (Alex) Mitchell or (Antoine) Dupont, they’re very high focused on their running game, whereas I’m more getting to rucks, getting out of rucks quick, passing game, world class kind of basics is what I base myself around. But it’s also important to take notes from those players and see where I can develop my running game and how I can develop certain aspects of that, but also not losing sight of where I am as a player.
“I have full belief I do things better than other players around the world and they certainly do things better than I do, and so it’s probably learning from that, but taking confidence from watching world class players deliver certain aspects in some weeks, but I’ve also watched similar clips of me doing the exact same thing the night before I go into a game and I can’t go out but not have confidence within myself on the weekend.”
The 26-year-old will surely take a moment to look back to January 2024, when he was Munster’s starting nine as the province recovered from 10-0 down to beat Toulon at the Stade Mayol.
Casey started the 2024 win in Toulon. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO
Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO
“Obviously it’s in the back of our minds. We’ve went there and won. I think they’re probably in a better place than they were two years ago. I also think we’re probably in a better place than we were two years ago.
“They’ve got a very different team as well. They’ve signed a few different players. It’s definitely a different challenge but I think you kind of have to take belief from the past, things that you’ve done and that is certainly one of them.”
Casey, who was in line to cover out-half if needed in the December games against Bath and Leinster, acknowledges the scale of the task facing Munster this weekend. There have been enough disappointments recently – the loss to Ulster, the early destruction in Bath, the second half collapse against the Stormers – but Casey still feels this group can achieve big things over the coming weeks and months.
“Confidence wise, I definitely haven’t been shook by it one bit.
“I think my confidence within the team, within the coaching staff, the players we have is sky high and I know the places we can take it. It’s just about finding that level and exploiting it week on week.”
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'I know the places we can take it' - Casey confident Munster can find top form
CRAIG CASEY WAS afforded a week off following Munster’s December defeat to Leinster. He used the opportunity to get away for a few days in Dubai, but it wasn’t quite the switch-off he hoped, with the frustration of that interpro loss lingering into his holidays.
“I struggled to relax,” says Casey, who is looking to right a few wrongs in France this weekend. Munster face Toulon in round three of the Champions Cup on Sunday, going into the game on the back of their worst performance under Clayton McMillan.
Play like they did in last Friday’s 28-3 loss to Ulster, and they’ll be blown out the gate at the Stade Mayol. The good news for Munster is that Casey will be back in the side, alongside his fellow Ireland internationals. In previous seasons, these were the weeks where players like Peter O’Mahony, Conor Murray and Dave Kilcoyne were so central to setting a tone. Now the focus is more on the likes of Casey and Jack Crowley as the younger leaders below captain Tadhg Beirne.
“There’s definitely a shift in the personalities that are probably leading weeks and stuff like that,” says Casey.
“But over the last few years, I think we’ve taken steps forward as young fellas in terms of leading that. I think you definitely miss the personalities around the changing room and then around setting certain stuff, but I think some lads have really stepped up and filled voids and filled it in different ways as well, which is always good, not trying to be the exact same person as a Peter O’Mahony because I don’t think you’re ever going to emulate someone like Pete.
These are important weeks for Casey. Helping Munster get results against Toulon and Castres is the top priority, but he’s also acutely aware that it’s less than a month to Ireland’s Six Nations opener against France in Paris (5 Feb). Before kick-off on Sunday, as usual, Casey will take time to watch back his own highlights, as well as looking to other scrum-halfs for inspiration.
“I’m trying to change up the players I would look at later in the week depending on what kind of game I’m trying to develop at that time or what’s important for the weekend,” he explains.
“I still have my highlight real either the morning of the game or the night before, and build my belief in how good I can be.
“Like, I watch some amount of rugby and you’re watching nines from all over the world and it’s probably important to realise that I’m not the player that someone say like (Alex) Mitchell or (Antoine) Dupont, they’re very high focused on their running game, whereas I’m more getting to rucks, getting out of rucks quick, passing game, world class kind of basics is what I base myself around. But it’s also important to take notes from those players and see where I can develop my running game and how I can develop certain aspects of that, but also not losing sight of where I am as a player.
“I have full belief I do things better than other players around the world and they certainly do things better than I do, and so it’s probably learning from that, but taking confidence from watching world class players deliver certain aspects in some weeks, but I’ve also watched similar clips of me doing the exact same thing the night before I go into a game and I can’t go out but not have confidence within myself on the weekend.”
The 26-year-old will surely take a moment to look back to January 2024, when he was Munster’s starting nine as the province recovered from 10-0 down to beat Toulon at the Stade Mayol.
“Obviously it’s in the back of our minds. We’ve went there and won. I think they’re probably in a better place than they were two years ago. I also think we’re probably in a better place than we were two years ago.
“They’ve got a very different team as well. They’ve signed a few different players. It’s definitely a different challenge but I think you kind of have to take belief from the past, things that you’ve done and that is certainly one of them.”
Casey, who was in line to cover out-half if needed in the December games against Bath and Leinster, acknowledges the scale of the task facing Munster this weekend. There have been enough disappointments recently – the loss to Ulster, the early destruction in Bath, the second half collapse against the Stormers – but Casey still feels this group can achieve big things over the coming weeks and months.
“Confidence wise, I definitely haven’t been shook by it one bit.
“I think my confidence within the team, within the coaching staff, the players we have is sky high and I know the places we can take it. It’s just about finding that level and exploiting it week on week.”
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