Kerry youngster JJ Hanrahan has been ruled out of Munster’s RaboDirect PRO12 derby match against Connacht on Easter Saturday.
JJ Hanrahan underwent an MRI scan earlier today in Limerick where it was confirmed that the young out-half sustained a groin tear during last Saturday’s defeat to Glasgow Warriors.
He will be rested for the immediate future and will meet with a specialist later in the week in identifying the full extent of the injury, and the return-to-play timelines.
South African prop BJ Botha, who sustained a mild ankle injury last Saturday night, will be monitored for the week.
Meanwhile, James Downey has stressed the importance of a result this weekend and highlighted the areas where Munster need to improve for the interprovincial clash in Galway.
“Both ourselves and Connacht lost last week so both teams are coming together looking for a result and a performance,” explained the big centre, who started in the 22-5 loss to Glasgow.
“I really think we need to stick to that word, ‘performance’, because that’s what we’re looking for….there’s only three games left and we need to win every single one.
“We need to eradicate all the dropped balls from our game and stick to our methods. We need better ball protection as possession is the main thing, if you don’t have it you can’t score.
“Our defence also needs to be tightened up, last weekend we conceded a lot of yardage which is not what you’d normally associate with Munster.”
With a Heineken Cup semi-final just under a fortnight away, some teams may be excused for prioritising a trip to the balmy south of France over a local league derby. But Downey said there is no fear of Munster doing that.
“You’ve got to show Connacht the respect they deserve. We saw what happened last week against the Warriors and we’ve got to rectify that this week.
“Lads who didn’t put their hands up for selection last weekend will have a chance to do so again on Saturday.”
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