O’Connell adds to Irish injury woes

Ireland’s preparations for Saturday’s Test against South Africa have been dealt another serious blow after Paul O’Connell was ruled out of the Guinness Series opener due to a back injury.

The Munster lock had appeared set to pass fit for his first Ireland appearance since a knee injury at Stade de France on March 4 cut his short his Six Nations campaign and led to him missing the summer tour to New Zealand.

O’Connell, 33, had returned to training with the Ireland squad at Carton House and taken a full part in Monday and Tuesday’s sessions, only to suffer a reaction that has forced head coach Declan Kidney to add the influential second row to an absentee list for this weekend already featuring captain Brian O’Driscoll, hooker Rory Best, flankers Sean O’Brien and Stephen Ferris and full-back Rob Kearney. An Ireland spokesman said O’Connell will see a specialist “in the coming days”.

The way South Africa are buckling up and battening down the hatches for Saturday’s test, you’d imagine they are under the impression that Hurricane Sandy has done a sharp about turn and is heading straight for the Aviva Stadium.

Not exactly gung-ho or expansive in their approach to international rugby in the most benign of conditions, the Springboks’ head coach Heyneke Meyer yesterday selected what he described as a “horses for courses” team with which to kick off their three-Test tour of the northern hemisphere, the implication being that the IRFU’s home stadium would this weekend resemble a wind-lashed afternoon on heavy ground at Punchestown.

The Boks’ training sessions in Dublin this week have already featured extra scrummaging sessions and added kicking practice and Meyer backed this up with his selection of a young but powerful pack, a heavyweight midfield and an in-form boot at fly-half to deal with the forecast wind-chilled temperatures and, according to the South Africans themselves, a 25 per cent chance of showers.

Denied by injury of the services of Johan Goosen, the 20-year-old who started last two Tests of the Rugby Championship at outside half, Meyer has resisted the chance to recall Morné Steyn, who had started the previous seven Tests in the position and instead given the number 10 jersey to Patrick Lambie.

Lambie has been a more familiar sight in a Springbok number 15 shirt but the now 22-year-old has impressed the national coach with his shifts at fly-half during the Natal Sharks’ run to the Currie Cup final last month. Lambie is one of three changes from the team which concluded the inaugural Rugby Championship with a home defeat to New Zealand, leaving South Africa with only two wins, a draw (against Argentina) and three losses from its campaign. The only change in the Boks’ pack is at lock where Juandré Kruger replaces the injured Andries Bekker while the absence of Bryan Habana on the wing is covered by JP Pietersen.

South Africa replacements: S Brits (Saracens), CJ van der Linde (Golden Lions), P Cilliers (Golden Lions), F van der Merwe (Blue Bulls), M Coetzee (Sharks), M Steyn (Blue Bulls), J de Jongh (Western Province), L Mvovo (Sharks).