Confusion over fitness of O’Brien

Warren Gatland effectively ruled Sean O’Brien out of Leinster’s RaboDirect Pro 12 final against Ulster on Saturday when he said the Ireland flanker would not be fit for the British and Irish Lions for at least another two weeks.

Yet in a twist last night the Lions issued a statement saying O’Brien, after an evening check-up, was in better condition than the tourists had thought although did not suggest any change in his time frame for recovery.

O’Brien suffered bruising to his knee during the second half of Leinster’s Amlin Challenge Cup final victory over Stade Francais at the RDS last Friday and Leinster’s squad bulletin issued yesterday classed the back row merely as in ‘injury concern’.