Johann van Graan was so eager to see Damian de Allende after the centre’s long absence with the Springboks that he drove to the airport last weekend to pick him up.
De Allende returned to Ireland on Sunday and was back in Munster’s high-performance centre in Limerick the following day, and the head coach revealed that he the player is in his thoughts for this weekend’s URC trip to Swansea where they will face the Ospreys.
“He's a phenomenal player for us, and we're really looking forward to seeing him train,” said Van Graan.
“I spoke to him, he drove from Dublin to Shannon, and I went to Shannon to get him there, so it's great to have him back.”
De Allende started eight of the Springboks' 10 summer Tests, starring in the series victory over the British and Irish Lions and the thrilling 31-29 win over New Zealand a fortnight ago.
The Munster head coach will also make a decision on whether to use Conor Murray in Wales. The scrum-half has yet to feature this season on the back of his summer stint in South Africa with the British and Irish Lions.
In other player news, Rory Scannell will undergo return to play protocols after being removed with a head injury during Saturday’s win against Connacht at Thomond Park.
Also, Keynan Knox will return to team training this week after a hip issue, James French has returned to modified training, while Thomas Ahern is unavailable this week due to illness.
Those listed on the unavailable list are RG Snyman (knee), Rowan Osborne (head), Jason Jenkins (thigh), Roman Salanoa (knee), and Chris Farrell (abdomen).
