Timeframe to be put on O’Connell return

Paul O’Connell’s road to recovery is expected to be clarified by Munster this week with a timeframe for his rehabilitation from back injury.

The former Munster captain has not played since the second round of Heineken Cup in October having pulled up with a recurrence of a bulging disc problem during Ireland’s preparations for the November Test matches.

O’Connell, 33, has played just twice this season having returned from a serious knee injury suffered in March and throughout his time out, Munster head coach Rob Penney has stuck to a mantra that his talismanic lock will “tell us when he’s ready”.