Relief for Ireland as O’Brien allays injury fears

FITNESS doubt Sean O’Brien declared himself ready to play in Ireland’s World Cup opening fixture this Sunday against the USA.

Declan Kidney’s squad open their Pool C account in New Plymouth at Stadium Taranaki with European Player of the Year O’Brien’s injured knee a concern since he damaged medial ligaments during the second warm-up Test against France in Dublin on August 20.

The 24-year-old back row yesterday said he was pain free and in “no doubt” he would be ready to face the Americans but the final decision would be made by the Irish team’s medical staff and management.

Whether Kidney will be prepared to risk O’Brien ahead of the crunch second game in the group, against Tri-Nations champions Australia on September 17, is another matter, particularly when Stephen Ferris is in need of game time. Yet the Ireland coach now appears to have a full complement of back row players at his disposal.

“It’s good, coming along nicely. Nearly there,” O’Brien said of his recovering knee.

“No pain really. It’s pretty good. I did a bit of contact during the week and doing a bit of jumping and gradually it’s been getting better and better every day.”

The Leinster star said he had missed very little pre-season training as a result of his injury, adding: “I was nearly into rehab immediately with the leg and the good thing about it was I played nearly 25 minutes, 30 minutes, with the injury, without realising it.

“So that was the good thing, I suppose, that I could go back and start in straight away and keep the legs going. I literally missed a week of weights and a couple of sessions and gradually I’ve built it back in but I wouldn’t say I’ve missed much or lost much fitness.”

Since arriving in New Zealand with the rest of the squad last Thursday, O’Brien has taken a full part in the two most recent training sessions in Queenstown and it was now, he said: “a matter of time, you know, knowing exactly when it’s the right time. There’s no point in going in half-cocked.

“I’m feeling good and it’s up to the medical staff and management to make that call but I would certainly have no doubt that I could play if selected.”

Loosehead prop Cian Healy remains the only serious selection doubt ahead of Friday’s team announcement as the team was today due to fly into New Plymouth ahead of the showdown with Eddie O’Sullivan’s side.

For the senior players in the Irish squad it will be a return to the coach who presided over some of the darkest hours in the team’s history as Ireland struggled to overcome Georgia and failed to get out of their pool in 2007.

Denis Leamy, who saved Ireland’s blushes against the Lelos that year by holding up a player and preventing a last-gasp winning try, was adamant there was no danger of being caught similarly cold against the Eagles.

“The comparisons between the two, they are a little bit different, I hope,” Leamy said.

“We prepared so well for the World Cup the last time, with our fitness, that we forgot about the rugby, I felt.

“We just weren’t match hardened and it caught us. The Georgians were so physical that night that we were blown away a little bit by their physicality.

“We were living like monks, we weren’t going out and in many ways, it was the wrong thing to do. We broke from what we normally did and we didn’t enjoy ourselves as much as we should have coming up to it.

“That led to a vicious circle and poor results and poor performances. That experience will stand to us this time around. Already, it is a much better experience.”