Good news or bad news first? Good news? Okay.
Ahead of Saturday's nail-biting victory over Ulster, Munster fans - or more specifically Munster fans near the sideline at Thomond Park -
received a positive injury update from CJ Stander.
The big former baby Bok seemed to indicate that he will be fit to face Saracens at the Aviva next weekend having been injured during Munster's Champions Cup thumping of Toulouse.
That's the good news. The bad news is that Conor Murray is not looking good to face Sarries, as per Rassie Erasmus, and centre Rory Scannell may well join him in the stands after picking up a knock against Ulster.
Speaking at his post-match press conference, Erasmus said:
Rory went off with his ankle. He went off and I think it’s pretty serious.
We’ll have to check it in the next 24 hours and we’ll probably only have clarity on that on Monday, but Rory wouldn’t come off, especially because we didn’t have a backs sub on the bench. I can’t tell you now but he would be a big worry.”
CJ, I think, is relatively good.
Conor, I’m not sure. He’s not healing like we would have liked him to heal. It’s slower and I think he will be a big doubt for next week.
Scannell's absence would likely see Jaco Taute move to inside centre and Francis Saili, whose magic created Keith Earls' try against Ulster and whose defensive indiscipline provided Ulster with a score of their own, will stay put at 13.
Perhaps more concerning is that Conor Murray's typical replacement Duncan Williams, who starred in Murray's absence versus Toulouse, also missed Ulster through injury. Erasmus, though, is confident that Williams will be fit to face the European champions in Dublin, and told the press that Williams' absence today was merely precautionary.
Duncan pulled up yesterday (Friday) with his groin in the captain’s run. We wanted to win this game desperately to have some breathing space in the Pro12, so if Duncan was fully fit we would have played him.
I don’t think Duncan is a doubt (for Saracens), that’s why when he pulled up yesterday it was mostly precautionary. If it was the Saracens game this week, Duncan would definitely have played.
Those comments regarding Murray, however, wouldn't fill you with hope less than a week out from Munster's biggest game of the season, and indeed one of the biggest in the province's rugby history.
