JOEY CARBERY IS hoping for a timely birthday present as he awaits the results of a scan on a hand injury which threatens his excellent start to the season.
The out-half will celebrate his 28th birthday this Wednesday hoping that a knock picked up in the draw away to Benetton at the weekend does not rule him out of next Saturday’s URC clash with the Dragons at Musgrave Park.
Carbery lost both his Munster starting place to Jack Crowley and cover spot to Ben Healy as Graham Rowntree’s side marched to URC glory last season, along with missing out on any chance of going to the World Cup despite making the most appearances in a season for the Reds — 14 starts and three off the bench — since moving south from Leinster in 2018.
Head coach Rowntree noted in preseason that Carbery had come back in fired-up and attack coach Mike Prendergast, speaking at the squad’s weekly press gig on Tuesday, reiterated how the out-half was in flying form.
“In terms of how he has approached this season, it was a tough season last season for him, a tough end to it, but he’s turned up this season and he has been excellent, a really good preseason,” said Prendergast.
“He had a little injury through it, came back and really came back bouncing and is playing really well.
“He was very good against the Sharks last week, took a knock the other day, stayed on the pitch and was a massive part of us getting the two points over there. Hopefully it is nothing too serious.”
Carbery, with Crowley rested after the World Cup and Healy gone to Edinburgh, starred in the opening round win against Sharks and kicked the stoppage-time conversion to Tom Ahern’s try which salvaged a 13-13 draw in Treviso on Sunday.
The extent of the latest injury picked up Carbery will be revealed by a scan, with Munster now thin on the ground with out-half cover. Centre Rory Scannell and 21-year old Ennis native Tony Butler, who made his sole Munster competitive appearance when Covid issues forced them to field a massively understrength side against Wasps in December 2021, are on standby to slot in depending on the results of Carbery’s scan.
“We don’t have a final result on that yet,” added Prendergast.
“He had a bit of pain during it, he felt it, he got through the game but it was the day after that it got worse and worse, so he’s going for a scan this (Tuesday) afternoon. Hopefully it’ll be good news, but if not we’ll be prepared as well.
“Jack Crowley wouldn’t be back for us, not yet, he’s still away. You have Rory Scannell obviously, and Tony Butler. Tony naturally got a few hit-outs with us in the preseason games and fortunately enough within the club when we got together as a coaching staff last season we decided that we would all train together, our academy and seniors, so of guys do get called up or brought in, it’s not too new for them,” added Prendergast.
Scrum-half Craig Casey is the first of Munster’s World Cup contingent to return to the squad and could feature on Saturday against the Dragons.
