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With Jack Crowley and Will Harrison sidelined, young out-half Tom Wood is poised to seize the opportunity to shine for Munster. Ian Madigan, a former Ireland international, has high praise for Wood's abilities and believes the team's early home games will be crucial for their season's success.
IAN MADIGAN IS confident that Tom Wood is ready to grasp the opportunities that will come his way with Munster's first-choice out-half Jack Crowley ruled out until January at the earliest due to a lower-limb vascular injury.
With new signing Will Harrison also sidelined by the recurrence of a knee injury, JJ Hanrahan will provide experience, while Wood and Charlie O'Shea, both 20, will be given a platform to shine. Wood, son of Munster and Ireland great Keith Wood, has already shown a lot of promise after making his senior debut against Glasgow Warriors eight months ago.
Madigan, a former Ireland number 10, was impressed by Wood's contribution in the pre-season defeat to La Rochelle last week and believes the young out-half has the skill set and mentality to handle the challenge.
"I was impressed with him as an underage player," Madigan said. "Two years with the Ireland 20s is a fine achievement, and he really stepped up in his second year. " He also feels Wood has the physicality to survive senior rugby, while his height, kicking, and passing suit the position.
Advertisement But Madigan says the only real test is giving him opportunities and seeing whether he can deal with the demands of playing in the URC and, if required, in the Champions Cup in December.
"I'd expect to see him being given some opportunities early," the Premier Sports pundit said. "The only way you can tell if someone's ready is by seeing it. It's very hard to predict. The key part is whether he can withstand the professional game physically.
Absolutely, he will. He's a really physical guy.
" Madigan also believes Munster's opening home URC games against Glasgow Warriors and the Bulls could shape their season. The province have narrowly reached the play-offs in each of the last two campaigns, and Madigan fears a poor start could leave them chasing the pack from an early stage. Ian Madigan. Brendan Moran / Sportsfile Brendan Moran / Sportsfile / Sportsfile "We're seeing more and more the importance of those home games," said Madigan.
"Suddenly, if you lose at home, you're playing round three under immense pressure, so it's really crucial. "If they win those early games, as they did last year, that sets them up for success again this season. " Munster's European campaign was disappointing last season, with the Reds failing to emerge from the pool stages, and Madigan says the province must set a higher standard after two "mediocre" URC years.
He expects all four Irish provinces will not necessarily reach the play-offs, increasing the importance of every fixture - and, for Munster, that means winning more games against the URC's middle tier teams. Madigan also expects new coach Jared Payne to improve the defence as the season progresses. Payne worked with Madigan at Ulster and says the former Ireland full-back's methods will take time to bed in.
"He was a brilliant defence coach when I was with Ulster," said Madigan. "It is quite technical, but over the course of the season, I'd expect Munster's defence to improve. " - Ian Madigan was promoting Premier Sports - the home of live football and rugby including UEFA club competitions, English Premier League, BKT United Rugby Championship, Investec Champions Cup, and EPCR Challenge Cup. Premier Sports is available as part of the Sports Extra package on Sky, NOW, and Virgin
Tom Wood Munster Ian Madigan Jack Crowley URC Champions Cup Jared Payne Defence Out-Half Injuries
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