Munster's scrum half, Craig Casey, aims to build on their URC title from last year and create a legacy akin to Leinster's. The two inter-provincial sides are set to face each other at the Aviva Stadium on Lansdowne Road in Dublin, with a 6.30 pm kick-off this coming Saturday.
The two teams had contrasting conclusions to their domestic campaigns in 2023. Munster ended their 12-year trophy drought by clinching the URC title, defeating Leinster in the semi-final and overcoming the Stormers in the final.
Casey, a standout player in the 16-15 Leinster win in May, is optimistic about the potential of this young Munster side. He believes they can emulate and surpass the success that Leinster has enjoyed over the years. Speaking to RTÉ Sport, Casey, a Munster fan first and player second, expressed his commitment to the goal of winning trophies every year.
"As a Munster fan first, before being a Munster player, 12 years without a trophy isn’t good enough for Munster. We want to keep building on and keep winning trophies. That’s the goal every year," said Casey to RTÉ Sport.
He emphasised that the pressure to perform and win trophies remains, and the team must relish that pressure. Casey is expected to start alongside another young Munster star, Jack Crowley, who played a crucial role in Munster's URC title victory and has become a regular for Ireland.
Craig Casey of Ireland runs with the ball during the Six Nations Rugby match between Ireland and Italy at Aviva Stadium on February 27, 2022 in Dublin, Ireland. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)The close relationship between Casey and Crowley off the field has translated into a strong on-field partnership, contributing to their success. Casey highlighted their shared obsession with rugby and detailed how they constantly communicate about training and game performances.
“Our relationship has always been brilliant in fairness. We are very close off the field as friends but then on the field, we would have a really good relationship," Casey added.
“I think we are both probably obsessed with rugby. We would always be texting or chatting about what went wrong here in training, what we would have done better here in training, in this game, did I do well enough for you here, and he will let me know if I did well enough or if I didn’t do well enough.
“I do the exact same. We kind of have that relationship where we bounce off each other every day.”
The game will be broadcast live on TG4 & Premier Sports 1, and it will also be streamed live on the TG4 Player.
