Season over as O’Connell undergoes groin operation

PAUL O’CONNELL will today undergo an operation in Cork to sort out the niggling groin problem that has sidelined the Munster captain since Ireland’s defeat to Scotland in the Six Nations championship on March 20.

As a result, the season looks to be over for the Limerick man, meaning he will almost certainly miss Ireland’s June tour games Down Under against the All Blacks, the Maori in New Zealand and Australia in Brisbane.

He will also miss Ireland’s game against the Barbarians at Thomond Park next month.

It’s yet another blow for Ireland coach Declan Kidney, who is also likely to be without Ulster’s Stephen Ferris for the tour and is under pressure to rest other frontline players like John Hayes and Brian O’Driscoll after a particularly demanding season.Another Munster man, Donnacha Ryan, is also ruled out by injury and this could open the door for the 6ft 10inch Leinster lock Devin Toner, with Kidney unlikely to look at two older men in Malcolm O’Kelly and Mick O’Driscoll as he bids to build a squad for the 2011 World Cup.

The tour squad will be announced on May 18 but with several players likely to be still involved in the Magners League at that stage, they may be unable to get together before the final takes place on May 29.

They are due to assemble in Limerick prior to the June 4 game against the Barbarians and leave for New Zealand the following day.

Meanwhile, Brian O’Driscoll last night expressed concern at the poor standard of refereeing in the Magners League which he claims is having a negative impact of performances.

His comments came after Leinster defeated Edinburgh in a high scoring thriller at the RDS last night which sets up a semi-final clash with Munster. The Irish skipper said: “The standard of refereeing in the Magners League really needs to improve; the level of (in)consistency is frustrating the players and as a result you’re getting a bad standard.

“For the league to move on that has to be upped; out there tonight there were a lot of frustrated heads not understanding the interpretations.

“I would like to think that for a game the magnitude of Leinster/Munster next week we should get the best referee whether it be a Nigel Owens, Wayne Barnes or Chris White; they are international pedigree and their level of consistency is clear.”