O’Connell on target for Heineken Cup return against Ulster

On a day that signalled the exit of Tomás O’Leary at the end of the season, Munster director of coaching Tony McGahan gave hope that captain Paul O’Connell would be fit to face Ulster in next month’s Heineken Cup quarter-final.

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.