No early return in sight for O’Connell

The frustration continues for Paul O’Connell, with no end to his injury woes in sight.

He won’t be back for Saturday’s RaboDirect Pro12 clash with Glasgow at Thomond Park and nobody is banking on his availability for the Heineken Cup double-header against Saracens.

Munster head coach Rob Penney ruled the iconic second row out for Saturday and could only raise his hands skywards and say he was praying for a miracle.

“We haven’t even thought about Saracens yet. But miracles happen, he is beavering away,” said the coach. But he figures the comeback could be a bit off, given O’Connell’s failure to participate in any on pitch training, the type he did prior to his surprise return for the European clash against Racing Metro.

That was O’Connell’s first game since damaging his knee in last year’s Heineken Cup quarter-final defeat by Ulster and he managed to play a solid 60 minutes before going on to help Munster demolish Edinburgh the following week. He hasn’t played since, plagued by a recurrence of the back injury that has caused even more frustration than his damaged knee.

“It is unpredictable to define, it’s the type of injury that could just linger and be a nuisance, and it is frustrating for everybody,” said the coach.

Penney has also ruled out Conor Murray and Niall Ronan, both injured at the weekend: “Conor has had a lot of footie in the last three weeks. He has just had a little soreness in his knee and didn’t take part in any run out so it is likely he won’t play this weekend given the workload he already had.”

Scarlets forward Jake Ball has been cited for a dangerous foul on Ronan, who was flattened early in Sunday’s Rabo game at Musgrave Park. Penney declined to offer a critical opinion on the incident other than suggest that players have to be very careful in such situations: “The citing commissioner saw something and consideration will be now be given to what happened and what should be done.

“The serious nature (of the injury) that was first anticipated is over. Now it is just a case of Niall getting back in and getting his confidence back; getting himself up to speed again across the park is the big issue. He has had a horror run, the poor man. I’d hate to put a date on it (his return) either, because he may rebound really, really, quickly. I’m just thankful he is able to rebound.”

Penney’s biggest task this week will be to find a balance in reintegration of international players to the team just a week out from the European must-win match against Saracens.

One way or another, the coach is pleased with the performance of a number of his players during their autumn camp with Ireland: “I think it was exciting. Donnacha Ryan had such a dominant performance. Peter O’Mahony I thought was really coming on and had a big influence on tough, robust aspects of that game, and out the back we were really happy with Conor Murray and Keith Earls playing so well. And when Simon Zebo (at full back) gets an opportunity and comes through as well it is wonderful for everyone. He has created another positional option for us.”