Gus McCarthy’s Ireland breakthrough at Test level has shone a light on Leinster’s well stocked hooker department and the potential for a Munster move to give him valuable game time
Munster and Ireland prop Jeremy Loughman isn’t anticipated to return until late March or early April.
Loosehead Loughman, 29, has undergone hip surgery and is currently sidelined, joining other veteran Reds players. “I believe it’s been four months now, give or take,” said forwards coach Denis Leamy. “It’s very hard to put a definite date on it, but we’re in and around that space.”
Although Jean Kleyn has been ruled out of this weekend’s URC match against the Lions owing to a neck injury, the former Ireland lock turned Springbok, who was scheduled to play for South Africa last weekend, is unlikely to be out for long.
There is currently no news on Kleyn’s scan. “We’re just waiting for clarification on what exactly it is,” Leamy told me. “He’s not in our squad this weekend, we’re disappointed not to have him available, but, yeah, fingers crossed that, it’s not something serious.”
Following Gus McCarthy’s superb Test debut in Ireland’s triumph over Fiji over the weekend, there have been calls for him to go to Munster for more playing time. When Dan Sheehan returns from his ACL injury, McCarthy will be third or fourth in the Leinster pecking order.
Leamy, who was formerly with Leinster, left before the former Ireland under-20s captain made his debut for the province.
“But I’ve certainly been aware of him, I’ve been watching him come through the last couple of years,” the man from Tipperary replied. “He’s been very impressive and he had a very impressive debut last week.”We’re obviously talking about a variety of positions, but right now we’re very focused on developing our own young players as much as possible.
“We have some really good young front rows, young rear rows, and second rows, and I hope you’ll see those individuals in the next weeks, months, and years. We will simply strive to create possibilities for these young players to progress. “We will see what happens.”
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