O’Connell again leads Munster

PAUL O’CONNELL was yesterday renamed as Munster captain despite being ruled out of action for the first half of the season.

O’Connell believes he will make a full recovery from the groin injury/infection that has plagued him over the last five months. He is to take a watching brief as Munster play Leicester Tigers at Musgrave Park tonight (7pm).

O’Connell insists he is on course for a return before Christmas and coaching director Tony McGahan is clearly happy to go along with that medical prognosis after watching the big second row slowly build back up to the type of training he needs to re-launch his career. McGahan gave O’Connell the seal of approval on a day when Munster were also boosted by another huge cash injection from giant motor company Toyota.

The captain said he was happy with the way things are going, despite having to be patient. “I’ve made a lot of progress in the last few weeks; I’m back running about 10 days; I need to go about 12 weeks from when I discontinued the antibiotics to face into the real heavy stuff and I’m about eight weeks from that now. I’m still setting my sights around December and anything earlier will be a bonus.”

For now, McGahan will rely on others to lead the team through the upcoming pre-season friendly games against Leicester and Gloucester, into the Magners League and up to the halfway stage or maybe beyond the Heineken Cup pool stages.

Munster begin their season tonight and will be led by Denis Leamy whose recovery from a long-term injury comes as a boost to the home team which has an experimental look about it.

McGahan’s most experienced players will be reintroduced slowly over the next few matches to allow them game time before Munster’s October 9 Heineken Cup start.

It provides him with a an opportunity to give a chance to a bunch of the younger players, although Leamy, Denis Hurley, Ian Dowling and Paul Warwick will provide huge experience, alongside new signings Sam Tuitupou and Wian du Preez.

The game provides highly rated prop forward Stephen Archer with a chance, and the return of Donncha Ryan after injury will be welcomed. Ryan plays alongside Leamy and Tommy O’Donnell in the back row.

McGahan has other options to call upon from the replacements bench, amongst them youngsters Paddy Butler, Simon Zebo and Peter O’Mahony being just some. The game marks the return of highly-rated Felix Jones, whose injury early last season was a source of serious concern.

MUNSTER: S. Deasy, D. Hurley, D. Barnes, S. Tuitupou, I. Dowling, P. Warwick, D. Williams, W. du Preez, D. Fogarty, S. Archer, B. Holland, D. Foley, Donncha Ryan, T. O’Donnell, D. Leamy (captain).

Replacements: M. Sherry, D. Ryan, D. Hurley, I. Nagle, J. Coughlan, C. Murray, C. Hircock, F. Jones, S Zebo, P. Butler, P. O’Mahony, I. Dineen.