No quick-fix for Paulie as Archer joins injury list

Ireland head coach Declan Kidney has ruled out an early return to the Test team for Paul O’Connell and cast doubts on Stephen Archer being fit to face Racing Metro in Munster’s do-or-die Heineken Cup clash on Sunday.

Munster lock O’Connell is not due to return from surgery to correct a bulging disc in his lower back until April having gone under the knife on December 31 but there had been the tantalising prospect of him making an early recovery in time to feature at the back end of the RBS 6 Nations, with Ireland concluding its campaign on March 16 against Italy.

As expected, the 33-year-old was not named in Kidney’s extended Six Nations squad yesterday but when asked if there was a chance O’Connell might appear later on in the championship, the head coach replied an emphatic “No”.