O’Callaghan well aware of the value of patience

Dave O’Callaghan may be graduating from the Munster Academy this summer but he is fully aware there are plenty of skills still to be learned as he embarks on a professional rugby career with his native province, not least patience.

O’Callaghan, 22, was honoured at the 2012 Munster Rugby Awards in association with Irish Examiner at Thomond Park on Saturday night when he collected the John McCarthy Award for Academy Player of the Year.

The trophy, presented by the recently retired Jerry Flannery, was a testament to a season in which the Youghal back row made his first competitive start for Munster, against Ospreys in the RaboDirect Pro12, experienced his first taste of Heineken Cup rugby as a replacement in the epic away win over Northampton Saints and helped the A team to British & Irish Cup final success against Cross Keys.