O’Connell on target for Heineken Cup return against Ulster
Scrum-half O’Leary, 28, finally put an end to months of speculation about his future yesterday, when he signed a three-year deal with English Premiership side London Irish, to start this summer, while McGahan confirmed Lifiemi Mafi’s departure for Perpignan at the end of the season and he expects Peter Stringer back in a Munster jersey for 2012-13.
Of more pressing concern, though, is the availability of Munster skipper O’Connell, who injured the medial cruciate ligaments in his left knee during Ireland’s Six Nations draw with France in Paris on March 4. Scrum-half Conor Murray also damaged a knee that day at Stade de France and both Munster men were ruled out for the rest of the championship, with O’Connell given an expected recovery time of between four and six weeks.
Murray’s bone bruising to his right knee was given three to four weeks to recover and McGahan’s expectations yesterday were that both the talismanic second row and the young scrum-half were on course for an April 8 return against Ulster.
McGahan said: “Paul is making progress. He’s on target and we’re hoping there’s a return in the Ulster week. That looks, at this stage, on target. Conor Murray’s making wonderful progress. He’s getting a scan next week but he looks on progress to be back before the quarter-final.”
O’Leary, hampered by injuries over the past two seasons, found himself knocked down the pecking order by Murray’s ascendancy at scrum-half. O’Leary had been linked with French Top14 club Perpignan but McGahan backed the Irish Grand Slam winner to flourish with the Exiles in London.
McGahan explained: “Tomás was very keen to look at another rugby experience away from Ireland. France was his first port of call but that deal didn’t happen but he’s been lucky to go to a club like London Irish. They’ve a strong coaching team with Brian Smith, Toby Booth and Mike Catt so from Tomás’s perspective it’s worked out exceptionally well. He knew the circumstances if he took himself off the table at Munster that the offer would be withdrawn, so from that perspective he’s made a decision. We wish him the best, he’s still got a lot of good rugby left in him. He’s a tremendous player and he’s been fantastic for Munster.”
O’Leary, who won the Heineken Cup with Munster in 2008 having been a non-playing replacement in the 2006 final, spoke of his excitement at the prospect of playing for the Exiles. “Joining London Irish presents a new and exciting chapter in my career,” O’Leary said. “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Munster and the Heineken Cup triumph in 2008 will always remain a highlight. I have been lucky enough to be part of some winning teams at both Munster and Ireland and I hope to have even more success as a London Irish player.”
O’Leary’s exit paves the way to some extent for the return of Stringer, 34, when his loan with Newcastle Falcons concludes at the end of the season. Like O’Leary, Stringer has had to make way for Murray at Munster and he went out on a short-term loan to Saracens at the beginning of January before making the switch to Newcastle. McGahan said, however, that a Munster return was on the cards.
MUNSTER squad (v Connacht): Forwards: W du Preez, M Horan, J Ryan, S Archer, BJ Botha, D Fogarty, M Sherry, D Varley, I Nagle, M O’Driscoll, B Holland, D O’Callaghan, D Wallace, T O’Donnell, J Coughlan, P Butler; Backs: D Williams, T O’Leary, I Keatley, S Deasy, F Jones, L O’Dea, D Hurley, S Zebo, J Murphy, D Barnes, S Tokula, L Mafi.
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