SIMON ZEBO IS expected to be unavailable for selection for five weeks after picking up an injury in Munster’s Guinness Pro12 opener last weekend.
Zebo was withdrawn after 17 minutes of Saturday’s 13-23 victory against Scarlets in Wales. The province announced this morning that the 26-year-old Corkman, who started at full-back at Parc y Scarlets, sustained a fractured rib.
Munster hooker Kevin O’Byrne is also facing a substantial spell on the sidelines. O’Byrne, who replaced Niall Scannell in the 77th minute of last weekend’s game, suffered an elbow injury and will subsequently be out of action for approximately three months.
Elsewhere, 25-year-old South African Jaco Taute will join Munster on a four-month loan deal, subject to being granted a valid work permit.
Taute, who can play at centre and full-back, won three caps for the Springboks back in 2012 — the first of which came against the Wallabies in the Rugby Championship when he was 21. He also played in a win against Ireland at the Aviva Stadium that November.
The Stormers and Western Province player will bolster Munster’s options in the backline, with Francis Saili and Sam Arnold also currently unavailable to Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus.
The Munster team to play Cardiff Blues at Musgrave Park tomorrow night [7.35pm] will be named at lunchtime today.
