O’Brien not giving up on end of season game time

Seán O’Brien’s season may not be over after all.

The Leinster and Ireland flanker hasn’t played since dislocating a shoulder against Ulster at Christmas and the prognosis after surgery was that he would not play for club and country again until the 2014/15 campaign.

O’Brien stuck to that script in interviews last month but the sight of him acting as water carrier for the Heineken Cup defeat in Toulon two weekends ago rekindled hopes that the world-class flanker may see action sooner rather than later.