Munster's injury update puts Springboks on red alert

Munster will head into their final two games of the regular United Rugby Championship season with a depleted squad, having picked up a number of injuries in their recent win over Ulster.

Despite having a week off during the Investec Champions Cup semi-finals, Munster will prepare for another all-Irish affair against Connacht on Saturday in Galway bereft of some of their international stars.

Ireland quartet Tadhg Beirne (knee), Tom Farrell (shoulder), Oli Jager (head) and Calvin Nash (hamstring) will all miss the match after injuring themselves in the 41-14 win over Ulster.

South Africa lock Jean Kleyn is also among the list, which will be a grave concern to Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus, who has watched his players drop like flies in recent weeks. The 2023 World Cup winner is out of action with a biceps injury, but Munster have not revealed the extent of the injury.

With South Africa’s first Test of the year against England now less than two months away, several locks are in a race to be fit in time for the match.

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Leinster lock RG Snyman has already been ruled out with an ACL injury, while Eben Etzebeth is also expected to miss the remainder of the Sharks’ season with a hip injury. Salmaan Moerat is another member of the Boks’ bountiful list of locks who is injured, though his return is imminent.

Munster face Connacht and the Lions over the next two weeks, where they will be looking to book their place in the URC play-offs and push as high up the table as possible.

The 2023 champions are currently in fifth on 51 points, just five points behind leaders, the Stormers, heading into the final two rounds, and while they are contending with injuries, they will also be boosted by the return of Fineen Wycherley this week, as well as Jack Crowley, who was a late withdrawal ahead of the game against Ulster.