Williams gets the all-clear, but Topping breaks leg

MUNSTER number eight and stand-in captain Jim Williams breathed a sigh of relief yesterday when an x-ray on an elbow injury came back clear.

Williams did the damage in a collision with one of his own players late in Saturday evening’s Celtic League clash with Leinster at Donnybrook.

Initially, it was feared the international might have broken a bone in the joint but the x-ray was clear.

As a precaution he will be sent for a further scan today but coach Alan Gaffney said last night he was confident that, too, that this also would clear Williams to play immediately.

Munster have a free weekend coming up and in any event Gaffney said the severe pain suffered by Williams in the aftermath of the injury had eased considerably in the hours following the game.

In the meantime, Ireland winger James Topping broke his right leg playing for his club Ballymena in the top-of-the-table Ulster Senior League game against champions Belfast Harlequins at Deramore on Saturday.

The 29-year-old Ulster star was finishing off a period of rehabilitation from ankle and shoulder injuries and was hoping to win his place back in the provincial side.

Topping was injured when he took a bang in setting up Ballymena’s opening try in their 24-7 victory over Belfast Harlequins on Saturday.

“It looked an innocuous tackle, but he ended up breaking his femur,’’ said Ballymena’s soon-to-depart Australian coach Tony D’Arcy.

“I suppose if it was one place to break the leg it was there, as it will not take as long to heal.’’

He is now expecting to be on the sidelines until the New Year.

Topping, however, has had more than his fair share of injuries over the years, and the latest piece of misfortune could end inevitably end a professional career that saw Topping make his 100th appearance for Ulster against Cardiff at the Arms Park last April.

Topping made his international debut against Samoa in 1996, but was then injured during the following summer tour to New Zealand and had to undergo shoulder surgery.

He also had the misfortune to miss Ulster’s European Cup success in 1999/2000 with a serious thumb injury.