MUNSTER DEFENCE COACH Denis Leamy said the province won’t take any risks with Peter O’Mahony for this weekend’s Champions Cup clash with Exeter, even if they will leave it as late as possible to make a final call on his involvement.
O’Mahony, who stood down as Munster captain recently, missed last weekend’s draw with Bayonne in Thomond Park, a result that leaves the province under more pressure to win away in Exeter this Sunday.
The 34-year-old Ireland international has not been training fully so far this week and remains a doubt, with Leamy underlining that O’Mahony won’t be risked even for such an important game.
“Ultimately, it comes down to the medics and Pete around that sort of stuff,” said Munster defence coach Denis Leamy today.
“We’ll give him every chance. There’s obviously some requirements he’ll have to come through and in terms of pain management and stuff like that, so ultimately we’ll just have to see how that progresses over the next couple of days.
“We obviously don’t want to throw him back in and risk him. It’s a long season. We’ll just have to suss that out over the next couple of days.
“At the moment that debate is still open.”
Wing Shane Daly could return against Exeter having recently been sidelined by an ankle issue, while wing/centre Sean O’Brien hopes to come through the return-to-play protocols after suffering a head injury against Bayonne.
Munster’s back three last weekend was made up of O’Brien, academy wing Shay McCarthy, and Calvin Nash, who moved to fullback from his far more familiar spot on the wing.
“Both trained today,” said Leamy of Daly and O’Brien. “Both seemed to be moving quite well so we’ll just have to see how they wake up tomorrow. But hopeful both of them could be in the mix for the weekend.”
It remains to be seen if hooker Diarmuid Barron [neck], back three players Simon Zebo [knee/illness] and Patrick Campbell [ankle], tighthead prop Oli Jager [leg], and lock Edwin Edogbo [neck] are involved against Exeter but they’re all back in “modified training” this week.
Still on the longer-term injury list are Jean Kleyn [eye], RG Snyman [chest/shoulder], Joey Carbery [wrist], Roman Salanoa [knee], Mike Haley [hip], Niall Scannell [groin], Jack Daly [ankle], Liam Coombes [shoulder], and Cian Hurley [ankle/achilles].
After Bayonne brought size and power last weekend, Leamy and co. are expecting another ferocious battle on Sunday afternoon.
“It’s a challenge around that collision area,” Leamy said. “They’re brilliantly effective at putting phases together.
“They are masters at putting phase after phase after phase together with their big forwards and their big men so it’s just a big challenge around the physical exchanges again.
“They’ll offer challenges around the maul and the scrum and not a whole lot has changed in terms of what we’ll face. They’ve a very good kicking game and one of the highest percentages for kicking the ball. They kick the ball well so our back three will be challenged.
“But it’s just about putting everything we want to do back in place and that’s really what we’re focusing on, around how we can impact the game and challenge them.”
