Sherry keen to nail down starting spot at Munster

MIKE Sherry believes it is vital that one of Munster’s hookers becomes firmly established as first choice in the provincial side in order to boost their prospects of future international call-ups.

Both Sherry and Damien Varley were omitted from Declan Kidney’s squad for the upcoming autumn internationals in favour of Rory Best and the South African-born, now Irish-qualified, Richardt Strauss.

When Best was ruled out of the fixtures against South Africa, Fiji and Argentina earlier this week through injury, Leinster’s Limerick-born hooker Sean Cronin received a call-up.

Neither Sherry nor Varley have been able to tie down a regular starting spot at hooker with Munster this season, with Sherry starting five times to Varley’s four starts.

Sherry said: “One of us needs to grab the opportunity and have two or three outstanding games and get in front of the other. Both of us are playing very well and making the decision hard for Rob (Penney). One of us needs to grab the opportunity and run with it.

“You are always disappointed (missing out on Irish squad). You want to make it. I was involved over the summer and I loved being there. The goal is to get back in. I know the competition is fairly competitive.

“Rory Best is gone now it seems for a few weeks. I am looking at the Fiji game (at Thomond Park). Hopefully they might rest some of the lads and I could get in for that.

“I still have Varls (Damien Varley) to compete with down here as well. It is all up for grabs at the moment.

“We have both gotten the same number of starts and we when we are on the bench, we get the same amount of time on the pitch. Fair play to Rob (Penney), he has dealt with us well. Obviously you want to be starting every week, but that is not realistic. We have a squad here and everyone has to be treated the same, given them the same amount of game time.”

Twenty six-year-old Bloemfontein-born Richardt Strauss has become eligible to play for Ireland under the three-year residency rule and is in line to make his debut in the autumn internationals.

Twenty four-year-old Sherry believes Strauss deserves his place in the squad.

“It’s in the rule book and they are not doing anything wrong. In fairness, to Richardt Strauss he has played very well over the past two to three years,” Mike Sherry said.

“I think he deserves his place and best of luck to him. It wasn’t a surprise at all that he has been included. He is fully deserving of his spot.

“He has won two Heineken Cups with Leinster. He has been the cornerstone of their team.”

Sherry will hope to boost his chance of selection in the Ireland XV squad to take on Fiji at Thomond Park on November 17 when he features for Munster in this Friday night’s RaboDirect PRO12 clash with the Cardiff Blues at Cardiff Arms Park (7.05pm).

Sherry said: “You want to impress when you are in the shop window for an international call-up. That incentive is there. When you get the opportunity to start, you want to make the most of it.

“Ireland might decide to keep the two hookers for all three autumn games. You just don’t know. We will have to put your best foot forward against Cardiff.

“I suppose it is the last throw of the dice for both of us (with this year’s autumn internationals). But it is not panic stations or anything like that. We are in contact with the management team. We know where we stand and hopefully we can get in there,” said Varley this Wednesday.