mobanmarketWHEN IRELAND RUN out at Musgrave Park for their U20 Six Nations opener next Friday night, nobody in green will have waited as patiently for the opportunity than Craig Casey.
The Munster scrum-half was in contention for last year’s championships but was cruelly denied the chance to represent Noel McNamara’s Ireland when he suffered another injury setback, not long after making his return from knee surgery.
Ireland’s Craig Casey. Source: Morgan Treacy/INPHO
A procedure to remove an ingrown hair on his back presented further complications and just when the 19-year-old was getting back to full fitness during pre-season with Munster, he tore the meniscus in his other knee.
Casey had undergone three operations in the space of a 14-month period, but credits the support systems in place at Munster for keeping him in a positive frame of mind at a time when he was looking to build on the promise he showed at schools and underage level.
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“I think you just deal with it,” he says. “Injuries happen but I think there’s a lot of support in Munster, in fairness. You’re always kept in the loop with the seniors. If you want to meet the senior coaches, they’re open to it.
“But at the time my sister had a fairly serious back surgery. Just kind of seeing her trying to walk again and stuff like that, that’s kind of inspiring enough. Your injuries go to the back of your mind really and you just get on with it, you’re happy to be training and happy to be walking around.”
Having been a standout performer for Ardscoil Rís, captaining the Limerick school to the semi-final of the Munster Senior Schools Cup in 2017, Casey represented both his province and Ireland at U18 level.
A return to fitness has also allowed the nine to get senior minutes under his belt with boyhood club Shannon RFC in the All-Ireland League, as he continues to make up for lost time.
“It’s a step up I suppose,” Casey continues. “It’s something I’ve been dreaming of since I was four. I’ve always been around the squad [Shannon]. My father coached the AIL winning team in 2009. My uncle played for Shannon, Mossy Lawler.
“I’ve always kind of been in and around Shannon setups. To play for them, it’s massive. It’s a step up in games so you’re ready for this sort of rugby [U20s].”
Given everything he has been through, being named in McNamara’s squad for the U20 Six Nations was a huge honour for Casey, and certainly something he didn’t take for granted.