Conor Murray flown home from Munster's tour of South Africa

Veteran scrum-half Conor Murray has returned home to Ireland midway through Munster's tour of South Africa for personal reasons.

The 35-year-old has been replaced in the squad by Paddy Patterson, as the province prepare to take on a Sharks side replete with their South Africa stars at Hollywoodbets Kings Park Stadium on Saturday.

Murray started in Munster's 34-19 loss to the Stormers at the weekend, but will likely be replaced in the starting XV by Craig Casey, who is fit again after missing the first leg of the tour.

Patterson is not the only player to be flown out to South Africa, as Academy prop George Hadden has joined him to provide cover for Jeremy Loughman, who exited with a knee injury against the Stormers. The prop will receive scans this week alongside Shane Daly, who was also withdrawn in Cape Town with a leg injury.

Elsewhere in the squad, Alex Nankivell will continue to be assessed after being a late withdrawal with a hip injury, as will Diarmuid Barron, who failed a head injury assessment in the loss to Leinster.

Munster squad for South Africa tour

Forwards

Diarmuid Barron, Scott Buckley, Eoghan Clarke, Niall Scannell, Stephen Archer, Ronan Foxe, George Hadden, Jeremy Loughman, John Ryan, Kieran Ryan, Tom Ahern, Tadhg Beirne, Jean Kleyn, Evan O’Connell, Fineen Wycherley, Gavin Coombes, John Hodnett, Alex Kendellen, Jack O’Donoghue, Ruadhán Quinn

Backs

Craig Casey, Ethan Coughlan, Paddy Patterson, Billy Burns, Jack Crowley, Tom Farrell, Alex Nankivell, Seán O’Brien, Rory Scannell, Shane Daly, Mike Haley, Calvin Nash, Ben O’Connor