Injury rules O’Connell out for up to 10 weeks

IRELAND and Munster have suffered a huge blow with the news that Paul O’Connell has been ruled out for up to 10 weeks.

Lions second-row O’Connell broke a bone in his hand when making his seasonal debut for Munster against Llanelli last Friday.

O’Connell joined up with the Irish squad on Sunday, but a medical scan revealed the hand break sustained towards the end of Friday’s game.

He will miss Ireland’s three Autumn internationals against New Zealand, Australia and Romania, Munster’s Celtic League games and, of course, the more important Heineken Cup fixtures on October 21 v Sale, October 29 v Castres, December 10 v Gwent Dragons and December 16/17/18 v Dragons.

From an Irish perspective, his loss might not be so bad because of the availability of fellow Lion Donncha O’Callaghan. But Munster could feel the heat, although coach Declan Kidney can call upon the experienced Mick O’Driscoll or the promising Trevor Hogan. Hogan was called into the Irish squad at the weekend after earning his international stripes in Japan during the summer.

Meanwhile, former Munster captain Mick Galwey has pleaded for sanity to prevail in the on-going dispute between the IRFU and some local residents in relation to the future of Thomond Park. Galwey made it clear that he wasn’t intent on making a judgement, but believes it would be a disaster if the famous ground was wiped off the map.

Apparently, a few residents in the vicinity of the ground are holding out for additional compensation before stadium development can commence.

“I’m not making any judgements, but it would be pretty hard to take if Thomond Park was to disappear anytime in the future,” Galwey said.

“The tradition of the ground was felt by every player, whether by those in the clubs during the amateur era or by the people involved in the professional game. Obviously, this development can only go ahead with mutual agreement and I hope this happens.

“It would be an absolute disaster for the sport of rugby if the headquarters in Limerick had to be moved to a new location. It just wouldn’t be right; there could not possibly be the same atmosphere somewhere else, there could not possibly be the same sense of history,” he continued.

An emotional Galwey added: “I think the play, written by John Breen “Alone It Stands” sums up what the passion of Munster rugby and the history of the ground means to everyone in Ireland, even those not associated with rugby.

“In fact, that play is touring the world, and that has taken the aura of Thomond Park to new levels. I would just make a heartfelt plea to all concerned in the hope that there can be a satisfactory conclusion to this.

“The players, past and present, the supporters, past and present, want Munster to do well, and they want to see them play in Thomond Park, not in some greenfield site on the outskirts of Limerick.”