Best is ‘totally recovered’
O’Donovan, who visited Best on Thursday night, did however say the Ulster captain is “totally recovered” and is looking like a guy who was “ready to go out and play a rugby match”.
He also sees no reason why the prop forward will not make a comeback in the future.
The coach’s relief was matched by all the players who endured a worrying few days after Best was admitted to hospital on Wednesday having lost feeling down the right side of his body and which affected his speech.
“I went to see him last night and he’s in great form,” said the Ireland assistant coach. “I was relieved actually when I saw him – he’s like a fella who’s ready to play a game. Unfortunately he has to stay in and undergo further tests today and tomorrow.
“Hopefully he’ll be out by Sunday or Monday but I’m not a 100% sure of that. But he’s looking great, he’s in great form. He’s totally recovered but the doctors want to continue with more tests.”
O’Donovan also said there is still no exact diagnosis of Best’s brush with serious illness, but tests are on-gong to determine what happened when Best went out walking with Paddy Wallace in the centre of Bordeaux and suddenly grew ill.
There is huge relief in the squad and O’Donovan said Best’s quick recovery “is a great pick up for everyone.”
He said: “Some of the lads went to see him last night. Eddie (O’Sullivan) went to see him as did John Hussey from the IRFU Committee. It was a relief in just actually seeing him because the reports over the last few days got people down a bit, but to see the state he’s in is a great pick-up for everyone.
“He was as normal as I’ve ever seen Simon. It wasn’t like he looked like a patient in the hospital – he looked a guy who was ready to go out and play a rugby match.”
O’Donovan also said Best remembered exactly what happened on Wednesday evening. “He totally remembered everything – he got pins and needles down one side, which then travelled up his body and affected his speech. With that they phoned a doc, they got into a cab, went to the doctor and he brought them to hospital.”
However, Ireland’s assistant coach admitted to being emotional when leaving the hospital Thursday night, describing it as “a sad moment”.
“Leaving him inside the hospital, you know his next move after that is that he’ll be going home. It’s a sad moment for him and a sad moment for us. Hopefully it’ll give the lads a lift going out on Sunday.”
Asked whether he expects Best to be back soon, he said: “I couldn’t answer that but I would imagine looking at the way he was last night, I couldn’t see any problem with that. If they get to the root to whatever caused this, I wouldn’t see any problem with him coming back. But I’m not a doctor.”
Rory Best is also coping very well with O’Donovan adding that Rory wanted to make himself available for selection on Sunday despite his brother’s welfare.
“It was a big shock to myself and our family and came totally out of the blue,” Rory Best said. “They got back to the hotel immediately and the doc (Gary O’Driscoll) got him straight to hospital. He has come through really well and in good form.”
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