Tomas O'Leary out for two months
Munster has been dealt a big blow with the news that scrum half Tomas O'Leary will be out of action for two months due to a thumb injury.
O'Leary picked up the injury during the 13-9 Magners League defeat to Leinster last weekend. His thumb was bent back damaging muscle tissue and ligaments in the hand and wrist. This required surgery to
repair.
"Tomas O'Leary, who injured his thumb in the game against Leinster, has been ruled out of Munster action for the immediate future.
O'Leary had an operation on Tuesday and could be out for anything from six to eight weeks," said a Munster statement.
O'Leary is an important player in the way Munster plays and the team could struggle to adapt without him. However, there is now a big chance for another scrum half at the
club to do well.
A big miss
O'Leary will be a big miss because his passing is possibly the best in the club. He is very effective at playing short passes in confined spaces or playing longer passes
to ease the pressure on his team.
His pace is very fast and his agility means he can go on many attacking runs from a defensive area of the pitch. These qualities allow him to dodge out of the way of big
players trying to bring him down with heavy tackles.
He's also very good at playing in the pockets of space between the back and the middle of the team. He's able to organise the defence well from this position and can ghost
forward unmarked.
There is now an opportunity for another scrum half to take control of this position. Peter Stringer seems the most likely player to come in and he should be looking to
raise his performance levels.
Betting advice
Munster should be fine in O'Leary's absence because Stringer has made 194 appearances for the club and has plenty of experience. Stringer should be one of the busier players
in the next game so back him to get over the try line at any point.
Tags: