Squad Update | Pre-Season 2026/27

27th August 2026 By The Editor

Jack Crowley is not expected to return to action until the new year. Inpho

The Munster men’s squad are in France for week five of their pre-season training programme and will face La Rochelle on Friday (6.30pm Irish time).

It will be Munster’s first run-out with the URC season getting underway in four weeks with a home game against Glasgow Warriors at Thomond Park on Saturday, September 28 (5.30pm). Buy tickets here.

Munster’s only home pre-season game against Leicester Tigers at Virgin Media Park is three weeks away with a 7.15pm start on Friday, September 18. Buy tickets here.

The game will be La Rochelle’s final outing before their Top14 campaign kicks off next week having defeated Bordeaux Begles 40-38 last week.

The extended Munster squad for tomorrow’s clash at Stade Marcel-Deflandre will be named this afternoon.

On the injury front, Jack Crowley has been assessed by specialists for a lower limb vascular injury and is not expected to return to action until the new year following medical advice.

Will Harrison suffered a reaggravation of a knee injury in pre-season and is being managed by the medical department.

Marnus van der Merwe has started to reintegrate to team training having suffered a calf injury at the end of last season.

Edwin Edogbo, Tom Farrell (both shoulder) and Calvin Nash (hamstring) underwent successful surgeries in the summer and are all expected to return during the opening block of fixtures.

Ruadhán Quinn has undergone surgery on an ankle injury this month and is expected back for the early rounds of the season.

Head Coach Clayton McMillan said: “Jack Crowley is a very important player for Munster and Ireland with a big future in the game and ensuring he gets back to 100% is the priority.

“Will Harrison’s injury is a frustrating one for him because he has come into a new environment and made an immediate impression, but the reaggravation is a setback and we want to make sure he’s in the best possible condition before he takes the field.

“We have a good mix of experience and youth available in the out-half position with JJ Hanrahan and Academy men Tom Wood and Charlie O’Shea.

“JJ has played 160 games for Munster and is our third-highest points-scorer of all-time so he is a player we know we can count on.

“Tom Wood and Charlie O’Shea are very exciting young players who have come up through the Munster pathway and excelled with the Ireland U20s last season.

“Tom made his Munster debut last season with Charlie joining the Academy earlier this month and they will get opportunities this year so we are excited to see what they can do.

“The pre-season game in France is a vital part of our pre-season programme and getting valuable time together is a great opportunity for our squad and management team to build on all of the great work we have done over the past four weeks.

“The players enjoyed important time off with family and friends over the summer and came back in really refreshed, full of energy and in really good physical condition.

“That has allowed us to hit the ground running when pre-season started last month and spending a number of days together in France is a great opportunity for the team and management to make another big step forward ahead of the new season and consolidate all the progress we have made.”