Munster still awaiting timeframe on injured Casey
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Craig Casey appears set for a long spell on the sidelines with Munster and Ireland set to miss the in-form scrum-half’s services following a serious knee injury.
Casey was carried off the pitch at Stade Pierre Fabre last Friday night as Munster conceded their second try in a 16-14 Champions Cup pool defeat to Castres and left France on crutches.
Skills and assistant attack coach Mossy Lawler, also Casey’s uncle, believes the number nine was advancing his Test claims, such was the form the 25-year-old was in, and that Munster would miss his standard-setting energy during his enforced absence following surgery.
“He's injured his meniscus, so we're just waiting on a time frame,” Lawler said on Tuesday, ahead of Munster’s URC derby at Ulster this Friday night. “We don't actually know yet.
“So unfortunate for him, because he was in such a rich vein of form, pushing towards the Six Nations, but more importantly, he's a massively important cog (for us) as well, so it's really unfortunate for him.
“He's a huge part of what we're about here. He sets standards, off the field and on the field, and he brings massive energy.
"I really do believe he was closing the gap in the Irish set-up so for him, to pick up a knock at the weekend, it’s unfortunate for him, but he's somebody that we’ll miss.”
Lawler said Munster were expecting Test centurion scrum-half Conor Murray back from an elbow injury in time to face Leinster at Thomond Park on December 27 but in the meantime were placing their faith in Paddy Patterson, Casey’s replacement at Castres, and Ethan Coughlan.
“It gives Ethan and Paddy a huge opportunity. Two really great kids and it's one position in our squad that were actually blessed with a lot of talent.
“Patsy, coming back from two ACL surgeries, the work he's done in relation to getting his game to where he wants to get it to, his off-field work and you can even see you by his game the other night.
"The technical aspects that he's worked on over the last couple of months through his injury has been outstanding and hats off to him for putting in that effort.
“And the same with Ethan, he is a really, really good technician in relation to his game, so what's coming behind is something that we're really, really excited about.”
The visit to Castres proved a costly one as Munster’s injury list climbed to 17 players with prop Dian Bleuler ruled out for the Ulster clash due to a concussion and wing Thaakir Abraham dislocating a shoulder.
Peter O’Mahony is touch and go for Friday night after receiving a stud to a calf muscle in France while both Munster and Ulster will have to rest Ireland internationals involved in last month’s Autumn Nations Series under IRFU player welfare guidelines in one of the next two fixtures, both derbies.
Back-three player Shane Daly and back-rower Gavin Coombes are set to return having been rested for the Castres clash, but Munster suffered a further blow after South Africa lock Jean Kleyn injured a quad in training last week, the World Cup winning having just recovered from a neck injury and posting on Instagram a picture of himself on a hospital bed preparing for surgery.