Munster dealt an injury blow

MUNSTER have been dealt a blow ahead of the start of next season with confirmation that centre Lifeimi Mafi is to miss the opening games of the 2010-11 campaign as he recovers from a shoulder operation.


Mafi had an operation on the troublesome shoulder last week and the 28-year-old is not expected to feature for the province until after the new season has begun.
Since arriving in Ireland in 2006, former New Zealand under-19 and under-21 international Lifeimi Mafi has played 94 times for Munster and scored ten tries.
Elsewhere, the news on Munster’s long-term injury victims is positive.
Denis Leamy (knee), Donnacha Ryan (shoulder), Darragh Hurley (eye), Felix Jones (neck) and Barry Murphy (leg) are all expected to be fully fit and available for the province’s opening pre-season match against the Leicester Tigers on Friday, August 20.
Munster prop Darragh Hurley, who sustained an eye tear which subsequently became infected, has been cleared by medics to take full part in training.
Ireland internationals Denis Leamy and Donnacha Ryan are both recovering well from their injuries and are expected to return with Hurley for pre-season training when it starts at the end of next month.
The versatile Barry Murphy is still at the recovery stage, but is also expected to report for full training then. Promising full-back/winger Felix Jones has taken part in the last couple of training sessions before the season’s end and should be cleared for full contact when pre-season starts.
The venue for Munster’s pre-season clash with Leicester has yet to be confirmed, nor has it been decided where the second pre-season game - against Gloucester on Friday, August 27 - will take place.
Meanwhile, players from around the world have accepted invitations for the Barbarians’ 2010 summer tour which includes the sell-out MasterCard Trophy clash with Ireland at Thomond Park on Friday week, June 4.
Several members of Toulouse’s Heineken Cup-winning side, including All Blacks’ scrum-half Byron Kelleher and his club mate Jean-Baptiste Ellisalde, are expected to feature for the Barbarians in Limerick. Australian fly-half Brock James is also due to join the squad.
In a particularly strong back-row Wallabies’ record cap-holder George Smith is flying over to join another world-class flanker Martyn Williams of Wales, Munster and Ireland star Alan Quinlan, and Cardiff Blues’ talismanic New Zealand number 8, Xavier Rush.
Elsewhere in the pack, Argentina’s Rodrigo Roncero, Springbok Jannie du Plessis and David Barnes provide formidable selection options in the front row.
The prominent French flavour includes two more Heineken Cup medal winners from Saturday with the Toulouse duo of Cedric Haymans and Florian Fritz included in the squad along with Jerome Thion and Sebastien Bruno.
The Barbarians’ squad will be coached by Philippe Saint-Andre, assisted by Kingsley Jones.
The Barbarians begin their two-match end-of-season schedule in the MasterCard Trophy match clash England at Twickenham on Sunday next, May 30.

COLM KINSELLA