RUGBY NEWS:MUNSTER'S WIN over the Ospreys last Saturday has come at a high price, with the cruelly unlucky Felix Jones and Ian Dowling joining Denis Fogarty on their lengthening injury list and also undermining their Heineken Cup plans.
Jones, who had been sidelined from St Stephen’s Day onwards last season due to a bad neck injury, twisted his leg late on in the Thomond Park turf and initial tests have shown the former Seapoint and Leinster outside back suffered cruciate ligament damage to his left knee.
The prognosis on his recovery is still unclear, but after his bright start to the season, Munster are resigned to being without him until the new year. Similarly, the full extent of the damage Dowling sustained to his right hip has yet to be determined but likewise, all the indications are he too will face a lengthy period of rehab.
Hooker Fogarty also underwent a shoulder operation yesterday morning in a Dublin clinic and he will be out of action until after Christmas, but as this was already known, Munster had not included his name in their Heineken Cup squad.
This compounds the ongoing absence of Paul O’Connell and Jerry Flannery, although Lifeimi Mafi at least came through a Munster A game unscathed.
Furthermore, as with all other Heineken Cup participants, Munster were obliged to name their 38-man squad last Thursday. These squads were released yesterday, subject to one addition, and Munster probably had it in mind to add the name of Canterbury prop Peter Borlase pending his arrival from the New Zealand Provincial Championship.
Now, having lost two outside backs in rapid succession, they may be inclined to supplement their declared squad with the likes of Tom Gleeson – close to a return – or the in-form Academy winger Simon Zebo, although for all Damien Varley’s good form, they will also be watching Flannery’s delayed return from a variety of Achilles, calf and hamstring problems anxiously.
O’Connell has also been named, pending his hoped for return around about November, which could conceivably see him return to Munster’s equation in time for the third and fourth rounds in December.
Similarly, Leinster have named Leo Cullen and Kevin McLaughlin in their squads. Akin to O’Connell, Cullen is expected to return in late October or early November, and is therefore likely to be fit well in time for rounds three and four, while McLaughlin has also been named even though he is not expected to return until the New Year and, hopefully, rounds five and six.
Stan Wright, who will most likely not return even in time for rounds five and six in January, is not included, although all sides who reach the knock-out stages can then supplement their squads.
