Peacock proud of ‘40 brothers’

RECUPERATING Munster and Ireland flanker, Alan Quinlan, last night lavished praise on the backroom team who have helped him and several other long term injury victims to regain full fitness.

Among those lauded were physiotherapists Kirsty Peacock and Carol O'Callaghan and fitness experts Fergal O'Callaghan and Mark McManus for their unstinting and selfless efforts to get Quinlan and other long term injury victims like Denis Leamy and Mike Prendergast back into action as soon as possible.

"I don't think I would be at this stage of recovery were it not for Kirsty," said Quinlan. "She has suffered my pain with me. She has been hugely supportive, all the more so because she's so busy having all the other guys to work with as well. She never complains, never has something else to do, is always in good form and so professional and that's something all the others would agree on."

Alan is back doing light contact work on the pads and hopes to progress from there until he is back to full action within a month.

Kirsty Peacock concurs with that time scale and is equally complimentary of the work ethic that is helping Quinlan to return to the game before the end of the season. He has been sidelined since scoring his memorable try in the World Cup against Argentina in Adelaide last October.

"He has been very compliant and committed," says Kirsty, a native of Whitley Bay in Northumberland who arrived in Ireland eight years ago to do a sports injury course at Trinity and has been here ever since.

She worked in Cork for a time before joining Munster four years ago. Given the mischief level within the squad, it cannot have been easy for an attractive young lady to cope but she has done so in magnificent fashion.

"I didn't know what I was getting myself into at the start but I know now," she laughs.

"They are the best bunch of lads anybody could work with and I am mad about them all. It's like working with forty brothers. The nice thing is that they get on so well. There is no bitchiness, no talking behind peoples backs. Shoulder injuries like Alan's are becoming quite common in rugby because of the speed and weight of the players and it's a vulnerable area."