Munster assistant Denis Leamy says the artificial surface at Musgrave Park won't be a factor in whether or not RG Snyman makes his return from injury on Friday night against Scarlets (live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player).
The province return to action in the BKT United Rugby Championship this Friday when they welcome an in-form Scarlets side to Cork, with Snyman potentially in line to make his long-awaited return following almost 17 months on the sidelines.
The South African suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament injury against the Welsh side in October 2021, just three games into his comeback from the same injury which had kept him out for more than a year.
While Snyman is available for selection, the province haven't said for definite whether or not he'll be named in the squad, which is due to be confirmed on Thursday afternoon.
And defence coach Leamy says while they're yet to decide on this week's line-up, the 4G pitch at Musgrave Park won't be a deciding factor.
"No, we haven't really considered that," he said.
"I don't know the ins and outs of it, so this is a tricky question for me to answer, but I don't think there is enough evidence to suggest that there is a great danger in playing RG or any players on 4G pitches.
"So, no, we haven't considered that. All we know is, he’s trucking well over the last couple of weeks. He’s back in a position for selection and we feel like it’s time to have a good discussion around whether this Friday night is the right time or maybe to push him out further another week. We will discuss that later today and make a decision on that."
Should Munster decide to hold Snyman (above) back until their next game against Glasgow Warriors at Thomond Park on 25 March, Leamy says it will come down to his match fitness, rather than his risk of injury.
"We'd be looking at other things like how his aerobic fitness is, how’s his pain levels, how is he managing that, how is he managing the training load, all those things we would consider.
"But the fact we are playing on an artificial pitch versus a grass pitch, that’s not something that has come into the discussion," he added.
Snyman's time at Munster has been tormented by his two knee injuries, with the 28-year-old Springbok playing less than 60 minutes of rugby across four appearances since joining the province in the summer of 2020.
And Leamy says his dedication to his rehabilitation this season has been inspiring to those around him.
"He is a remarkable person in that he’s 6ft 10in and he’s lean as lettuce. He can run like the wind and he’s got the ball-handling ability of a basketballer. So he is a remarkable rugby player.
"We don’t see these guys very often but I think he has inspired everyone in the building, just the way he has applied himself.
"Getting cruciate ligament injuries is so difficult. To get another one straight away after coming back, after putting a body of work behind him only to get another one straight away, that’s incredibly difficult.
"You can’t understand how difficult that is and to go about his business day-to-day, get a couple of setbacks within that and still go trucking on, I think that’s really testament to what the person is. He’s a great example to everyone in the building."
Meanwhile, Leamy has praised the response of departing centre Malakai Fekitoa (above), after it was confirmed earlier this month that the Tonga international would be leaving at the end of the season.
Munster chose not to activate the option on the centre's contract for next season, with another New Zealander Alex Nankivell set to replace Fekitoa in the province's midfield.
After struggling in his first few months with Munster, his form has spiked since January, impressing off the bench away to Toulouse in January, before scoring his first try in the recent win against Ospreys at Thomond Park.
And Leamy says he expects the former All Black to play a major role in the final third of the season.
"I think Mala has been very good over the last number of weeks. I think the decision has happened a couple of weeks ago. That decision has happened and both parties are happy with that and everyone is working very hard on both sides for the remainder of the season.
"Mala's been terrific over the last couple of weeks. His experience and his influence in training over the last few days has been great. This weekend is another opportunity for Mala and it’s just about the next three or four months for Mala and for Munster and we’re very much aligned and we’re very much together around that.
"All sides are happy to focus on the next couple of months and then look, life goes on after that."
