Eager Sean O’Brien ready to ‘hit the ground running’ ahead of World Cup

Sean O’Brien believes a rare chance to bank a full pre-season will allow him hit the ground running when Ireland launch their World Cup bid with an opening pool game against Canada in Cardiff in September.

The Leinster flanker was one of the 45 names included in the preliminary squad released by the IRFU yesterday evening and one which will be whittled down to 31 before the team complete the last of their warm-up fixtures and decamp to the UK.

O’Brien is one of those players certain to travel and, more than that, start the key games having swatted aside any suggestion that a run of injuries in recent seasons — a shoulder issue being of particular concern — might hold him back.