Paul O'Connell on…

The injury that rules Tommy O’Donnell out of the World Cup

“The thing with Tommy is — and I know him a long time — it took him a long time to break through at Munster. He’s a great example to any young player to just keep the head down. He’s worked his socks off when it comes to training and when it comes to his lifestyle. The other 20 hours away from the training field, Tommy would be the ultimate professional in that regard. That’s one of the reasons everyone feels for him because it’s recognition of how hard he’s worked. The shape he was in was phenomenal. He’s a special type of athlete, he played incredibly well against Wales but that’s the game and the sport. I spoke to him [on Sunday] and he accepts that it’s part and parcel of games, sometimes you’re unlucky. He has a tough rehab ahead of him but there’s no doubt he’ll be back.”

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