Burns injury may see Crowley return earlier than expected for Munster
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Jack Crowley could return to action sooner than expected for Munster this weekend if there is negative update on fellow fly-half Billy Burns’ shoulder injury sustained in the win over Connacht.
Burns kicked three conversions in the 35-33 URC round-one derby win at Thomond Park on Saturday evening but left the field midway through the second half with a shoulder injury. Head coach Graham Rowntree confirmed the 30-year-old debutant, signed from Ulster in the off season, had damaged an AC joint and Munster are waiting for a more definitive update on Burns’ injury from the medical department on Monday morning.
First-choice fly-half Crowley is not due for a seasonal debut until the October 5 home game against Ospreys under IRFU player management rules as he and the other frontline Irish internationals are given extra time to recover from the summer tour to South Africa. Yet if Burns is ruled out of this Saturday’s trip to Zebre Parma, Munster would be down to the bare bones at fly-half with first-year senior player Tony Butler and uncapped second-season academy player Dylan Hicks the only available number 10s.
Butler, 22, replaced Burns in Limerick on Saturday and kicked two conversions, the second of which from the left touchline secured victory for the home side. He also started against Zebre Parma last season in Cork and played the full 80 minutes in a 45-29 victory while still an academy player.
Yet there is wiggle room to bring back senior Test starters such as Crowley under IRFU rules as Rowntree explained last week when asked about returning internationals.
“There's a hard and fast rule around Round 3, but having said that there will be dispensation on an individual basis, depending on how skinny you are in certain positions.” Munster could well be stretched at fly-half this weekend though the head coach was reluctant to tempt fate ahead of an update on Burns when the squad returns to training on Monday.
"We'll see what Monday brings, the majority are back in round three, but it depends on how skinny we are in certain positions,” Rowntree said on Saturday night.
"It's on an individual basis, you saw Friday with Leinster's selection, it's an individual basis and that's good sense. We'll see what Monday brings."
