Rassie Erasmus Issues Tommy O’Donnell Injury Update Ahead Of Racing 92 Clash

The next three weeks will make up one of the most important periods in recent Munster history.

The two-time European champions have been a shadow of their former selves in recent seasons but have been rejuvenated in the last few months and stand a real chance of qualifying from their pool.

This weekend’s game with Racing will be an emotional one as Munster return to the site where they lost their head coach Anthony Foley in a rescheduled clash with French giants Racing 92. It also sees Ronan O’Gara face his old team for the first time.

Racing have lost all their games in the competition so far and are already dumped out, but Rassie Erasmus is under no allusions. This will this be a tough one.

“I have my mind wandering a bit on that” Erasmus said to The42

“I am just going to confuse myself to work out what they will be thinking for this game, you just don’t know.

“If you look at their squad depth and obviously their budget and player budget and the stature of their club and where they finished last year in both competitions, they could field a great team.

“And you wouldn’t know if they filled a second team with those guys that they aren’t actually better. They may be younger but are just potentially as good.

“I started wandering down that line of thought, thinking about it, but then I thought what would it help? We can only control how well we train and play and I’m sure playing there, whatever team they put out, it is going to be a massive challenge for us.”

On the fitness of back-row Tommy O’Donnell, it sounds like the South African doesn’t fancy risking him.

I would say really it’s 50-50. I wouldn’t be overly positive, but he is a tough guy.

He is one of the important guys in the team, like all of the other guys, but he is a specialist openside flanker. We are playing a team that is great at that area of the game so we will give him all of the chances he needs. But also not be stupid.”

It’s going to be an emotional game this weekend by all accounts. Let’s hope Munster can do it.