Carbery a doubt for Champions Cup opening rounds

Munster may be without out-half Joey Carbery for the opening two rounds of the Champions Cup against Ospreys and Racing 92 in November.

However, Munster defence coach JP Ferreira has said that the main priority was to get him and all the Irish internationals right for the season on their return from the World Cup.

Carbery is rehabbing a knee injury that he picked up in August against Italy which troubled him during the World Cup. Upon the playmakers return, Munster will assess how long it will be before he is back in action.

Ferreira, who on Tuesday signed a two-year contract extension at Munster, was speaking in Limerick where it was announced that Life Style Sports will donate €5 from every Munster jersey sold in their stores and online in the build-up to Christmas to Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation.

“Look, it has been a tough campaign for the Irish lads, as a World Cup is for any team. So, we’ll slowly integrate them back, see where their mental state is and also their physical state is. And we know Joey has got the injuries so we have to reassess him.”

“Some of them have already been into the High-Performance Centre and we have seen them. Some of them are in really good spirits, they need to get new detail from Steve’s (Larkham) side, from Graham’s (Rowntree) side, get them settled again, just get them on par with what our beliefs are for the season and where we are off to with the group.“We’ll see them next week and then make an assessment next week. “

“Obviously the IRFU has got the policies of when they can and can’t play, putting all those things together we’ll then have a plan for each individual.“We want to pick our best side. If we can we will but there are obviously possibilities of not,”

The South African is preparing the side for their trip to Cardiff Blues on Saturday but, inevitably, he is keeping tabs on happenings in Japan in the build-up to the World Cup final between the Springboks and England.

Former England prop Graham Rowntree joined Munster on Monday as forwards coach and the rivalry will begin early on Saturday morning as Ferreira will be rooming with him in Cardiff.

Ferreira said that it will be interesting to get Rowntree’s take on players who Munster will face in the coming months who have featured against the Georgia team that the former English international coached in the World Cup:

“I think I’m actually rooming with him in Cardiff so we’ll be in each other’s ears early on Saturday morning! But I’m looking forward to working with him and to getting to know him,” said Ferreira.”

Munster will make the trip to Cardiff Arms Park on Saturday evening when they take on Cardiff Blues at 7.35pm.

JP Ferreira was speaking at an event in Limerick where it was announced that Life Style Sports will donate €5 from every Munster jersey sold in their stores and online in the build-up to Christmas to Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation, one of Munster’s official charity partners.