There is always a downside to success.
It has been an incredible season for Munster.
The province have secured 12 wins in their last 13 matches (their sole loss coming in a last minute penalty against the Leicester Tigers) since their loss against Leinster at the Aviva Stadium back at the beginning of October.
Their excellent form has inevitably led to a rather large sizable contingent of players called in to the Ireland squad for the upcoming Six Nations.
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A total of 13 players have been named in Joe Schmidt's squad and as much as Munster fans will be delighted that their players may get the opportunity to represent their country at the highest level, there may be some concerns as to how this will affect the team's performances in the Pro12.
Munster have to contend with an extra fixture in the coming weeks as the Pro12 organisers accommodated their rescheduled European Champions Cup fixture against Racing 92 in Paris.
As a result, Munster will play Edinburgh in Myreside on 3 February.
Munster play the following Pro12 fixtures next month as they look to reach the semi-final's for the second time in three seasons.
- Fri 3 Feb - Edinburgh Rugby (Myreside)
- Fri 10 Feb - Newport Gwent Dragons (Irish Independent Park)
- Sat 18 Feb - Ospreys (Liberty Stadium)
- Fri 24 Feb - Scarlets (Thomond Park)
Although the teams that Munster are scheduled to face will also be without their international players, an injury update issued by
Munster Rugby today may yet stretch the squad to its limits.
It has been revealed that James Cronin will have to undergo surgery on his injured thumb which resulted in him exiting the fray early on in the victory over Racing 92. The 26-year-old is expected to be out for six to eight weeks.
Dave Foley also suffered a wrist injury representing the Munster A's and will have to see a specialist to determine the extent of the injury.
Cronin and Foley join the following players on the treatment table: Darren Sweetnam (knee), Robin Copeland (thumb), Sam Arnold (knee), Alex Wootton (shoulder), Sean McCarthy (knee), Mark Chisholm (concussion), Duncan Casey (knee), Mike Sherry (back), Cathal Sheridan (ankle).
Munster will hope that a number of their players are released from Ireland duty in the coming weeks as the depth of the squad is beginning to stretch.
Do you think Munster have the squad depth to continue their fine form into February? Let us know what you think on Twitter and Facebook.
