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6th October 2024
02:30pm BST
Despite Munster's emphatic 23-0 win over Ospreys at a ferocious Virgin Media Park last night, Graham Rowntree will have woken up with a headache this morning as three of his starting players were forced off with injuries during the game.
While the wind and rain seemed to help rather than hinder the home side, it also could have had a part to play in the injuries sustained by Oli Jager, Mike Haley and Peter O'Mahony - the latter of which was returning for his first start of the season against the Welsh side.
Shay McCarthy scored the quickest opening try in URC history when he touched the ball down behind the opposition line after just 11 seconds.
He finished after Ospreys had dropped Jack Crowley's kick-off in the torrential weather.
Crowley then won a breakdown penalty and kicked to add three points, before Tom Farrell touched down his first Munster try shortly after.
Jack O'Donoghue crossed for the bonus-point try on 64 minutes as Munster lengthened their winning run at home off the back of a dismal display at Zebre last week.
With a much-anticipated trip to Leinster on the schedule next weekend, Rowntree told the media that he has to wait to find out the extent of the damage to his three shaken stars.
"We picked up a few knocks but we'll see what Monday presents in terms of scans," said Rowntree. "I'll wait until Monday. It's another week, another couple of injuries in the first half.
"We're struck at the moment, it happens, there's an ebb and a flow to every season in terms of injuries and we're a bit skinny at the moment, but we'll get through it.
"We'll see what Monday morning brings. We'll see how those guys pull up. We have a huge game next week now but it's about getting bodies on the field, so we'll have to modify what we do on Monday and we'll see what we can put on the field."
The former England international added: "But I've learned to wait until Monday, not to worry about things until I get the scan results back and see how they are."
Despite the injury setbacks, Rowntree said it was a hugely satisfying response after last Saturday's reversal in Italy. "It was, to nil them as well at the end there, they bombarded our try-line, I was pleased," said the Reds boss.
"We were hoping for a reaction, in fact I was looking forward to a reaction and I thought our physicality and our accuracy in those conditions - they were shocking conditions. You don't appreciate it unless you're pitch-side.
"Trying to fathom a way of getting into their half in the second half of the game, we had one chance and we took it. Accuracy, physicality. Some guys had big moments, some young guys really showed up for us.
"Shay McCarthy's first touch of the game, it was excellent for us, and then we were chasing a bonus point and he had a key moment in the lead up to that try. Bryan Fitzgerald was excellent tonight, in the last minute of the game he's holding them up over the goal line. So that pleased me. We saw a reaction in our physicality and accuracy in the weather. They stand out for me."
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