O’Connell on verge of return

PAUL O’CONNELL is on the verge of making his long awaited return to representative rugby, and appears certain to be available for Munster’s two remaining Heineken Cup pool fixtures in the New Year.

That's good news for Munster, who need victories over Castres and Sale in January to make the knock-out stages for the eighth successive year.

It could be bad news for Connacht and Leinster because O'Connell has targeted these post-Christmas Celtic League matches to mark his return from the hand injury that has kept him out of action for 10 weeks.