O’Connell would be a massive loss

IT WILL be another week or so before it is ascertained whether Paul O’Connell’s shoulder injury will prevent him taking his place against Wales at Lansdowne Road on Sunday week.

The Ireland second row will have further treatment over the coming week, although the management admitted yesterday that “the level of strain on the shoulder makes him a doubtful starter.”

Neither the national team nor Munster can afford to be without O’Connell over the forthcoming highly important and busy period while the player himself would be bitterly disappointed to lose any more of the season to injury, having missed much of the pre-Christmas programme because of a broken bone in his hand.