O’Connell will lead if passed fit

Paul O’Connell will be handed the Irish captaincy for the November series today as long as his troublesome back stands up to the rigours of a training stint at Carton House this morning.

The Munster lock did not train towards the end of last week but rehabbed well over the weekend. He took part in yesterday’s practice session in Kildare and is expected to do so again this morning before the squad get to put their collective feet up until Thursday.

An all-clear for the Munster veteran, who has been dogged by injury in recent years, would be an immeasurable boost for coach Declan Kidney and an Ireland squad that has had to contend with a drip-drip of injury blows to some of the country’s best players in recent weeks.

Fingers, and toes, will be crossed that the 85-times capped forward suffers no further back spasms between now and Saturday and that O’Connell will be ready to fill the considerable leadership void created by the loss of colleagues such as Brian O’Driscoll, Rory Best and Rob Kearney.

“He’s a world class player,” said assistant coach Anthony Foley, who knows the second row’s abilities better than most. “He’s a leader. He’s a talismanic figure within the group. He’s one of those guys that, when I was playing, I liked to see him tog out beside me. And when I’m coaching him, I like to see him in the changing room running the rule over the charges. It gives everyone confidence.”

He continued: “We’re at the stage in development where other guys are emerging as well. Others are taking on that mantle. So that’s very interesting for me to see these young guys coming through, the value they put on the jersey, the value they put on the importance of team over individual.

“It’s very interesting the way the squad is, in terms of senior guys being injured and others having to step up.”

Foley’s sense of anticipation in that regard was shared yesterday by Leinster prop Mike Ross, who talked about doors opening for players and the possibility that, in three weeks’ time, we could all be looking back at this series as the moment when a new Irish star or two were born.

What is certain is that the three-game schedule against South Africa, Fiji and Argentina is one pregnant with possibilities — good and bad – and, whatever transpires, it is difficult to escape the sensation that it will be seen in future years as a defining chapter in the evolution of the current Irish team.

With rankings for the 2015 World Cup to be decided at the month’s end, and Ireland desperate to remain in the top eight, Foley and Ross were asked if this approaching set of fixtures was even more important than the more celebrated Six Nations festival which will follow.

Both danced around a definitive response, lest they left themselves hostages to fortune, but there was a general acceptance that what goes down during the first and third matches in Dublin on Saturday and November 24 will echo down the line.

“You certainly don’t want to end up in a [World Cup] group with two other heavyweights,” said Ross.

“It makes it that much tougher to qualify for a quarter-final. It is very important that we do well in this series, especially against Argentina who are just a couple of points ahead of us.

“We don’t want to slip down, we want to do well. We’ve a home record at the Aviva to look at as well. It hasn’t been where it’s needed to be in the last couple of seasons. It’s a big challenge for us to step up to improve that.”

The chances of that have been aided significantly by yesterday’s latest medical update which confirmed both Fergus McFadden and Cian Healy were, like O’Connell, returning to the paddock after recent ailments.

McFadden received 16 stitches to an ear wound suffered while on club duty and which reopened last week while the loose-head prop was back in harness after receiving a shoulder injection last Thursday.

The suggestion is that all three will start on Saturday but Munster prop Stephen Archer was nonetheless called in to the squad for the week as cover while provincial colleague and hooker Mike Sherry will be on hand for a training brief today at least.

As for Stephen Ferris, the prognosis remains as was. The Ulster flanker travelled back down to camp on Sunday evening for a week of medical treatment but the badly strained ligaments he suffered on Pro12 duty last Friday will keep him inactive for the opening two Tests at the very least.

By then Ireland will have crossed a line through their South African and Fijian engagements. A pair of victories would help do the same to that 60-0 embarrassment in Waikato, which continues to shade the build-up to the winter schedule.