'I don't think I have reached my ceiling yet' insists Casey
Munster's Duncan Casey speaking to reporters during a press conference ahead of Friday's match against Ulster
It has been a year of firsts for Munster hooker Duncan Casey but while the Corkman has made huge strides in the past year, he is prepared to wait for a chance to have a crack at an appearance in an Irish jersey.
Casey, who turned 24 earlier this month, only made his debut last December when injuries to Damien Varley and Mike Sherry opened the door and he was thrown in at the deep end in the Heineken Cup against Perpignan.
But the Carrignavar, Co Cork, native didn't just survive. He thrived and by the end of the season he had chalked up 14 appearances, seven of them in the starting XV.
Further injuries to Varley and Sherry this season have seen him play eight out of Munster's ten games and his performances, which included his first try in the 38-12 win away to Dragons at the weekend, have been so good that he may hold on to the position even when the injured players return.
That immediately puts him into the frame for an Irish call-up but he is prepared to play a waiting game.
"Obviously it will be a target down the line. I was not annoyed or anything like that, not to be included in the autumn series. I didn't expect to be," he says.
Ceiling
"I am trying to get my game to a level where I can contribute as much as I can to the team.
"I'm not trying to smack of false modesty when I saw that, because I am reasonably happy with how the last couple of months have gone, but I feel I am nowhere near reaching my ceiling as a player and I look forward to reaching that in the coming weeks and months and hopefully getting closer to that green jersey.
"At the moment, I am only concerned about Munster and doing my best for the squad, because it has been a real rollercoaster ride over the last few months, so I am just concentrating on enjoying that at the moment."
Casey recalled his first encounter with Ulster last January and how far he has come down the track since that match.
"I came off the bench just before half-time up in Ravenhill at the start of January. It was a real shock to the system in fairness. I was nervous coming off the bench.
"When someone goes down and you are thrown straight on, you have to have the mentality of not messing things up. Now I'm looking forward to the encounter and I think I can contribute to the team's performance and hopefully contribute to the team getting a result. I think confidence and experience go hand in hand."
Casey is well aware that he has to make the most of every opportunity and the former Russian student, who is now learning Arabic as well as doing other studies, knows that it can all change rapidly.
