O'Leary out of Lions tour

Munster scrum half Tomas O’Leary has been ruled out of the Lions tour to South Africa after breaking his ankle in the Magners League match against Scarlets last night.

O’Leary will also miss the all-Irish Heineken Cup semi-final against Leinster and the rest of Munster’s season.

O’Leary was stretchered off in the early stages at Musgrave Park just after he had set up Munster’s opening try and was taken to Cork University Hospital where the injury was confirmed.

He will be reassessed today by a specialist.

Munster coach Tony McGahan said: “It goes without saying that we are very disappointed to lose a player of Tomas’s stature at this crucial stage of the season, even more particularly so, from his own personal point of view, given that he had just been selected to tour with the Lions, and our thoughts are with him in that regard.”

O’Leary was among a record-equalling contingent of eight Munster players selected for a Lions trip that starts against a Highveld XV in Rustenburg on May 30.

He had impressed Lions head coach Ian McGeechan during Ireland’s march through the Six Nations and also in Munster colours after they swept through the Heineken Cup pool stage and demolished quarter-final opponents the Ospreys.

The Munster scrum-half started four of Ireland’s RBS 6 Nations matches this season and gained Lions selection alongside fellow number nines Mike Phillips and Harry Ellis.

But barely 96 hours after announcing his 37-man squad, McGeechan must summon an injury replacement.

Players in the frame will include Scotland captain Mike Blair, his national squad colleague Chris Cusiter, Wales’ Dwayne Peel and England international Danny Care.

But O’Leary’s fellow Munster star Peter Stringer also has his admirers and might attract McGeechan’s attention.

There is no obvious rush for McGeechan to name a replacement, given the Lions do not leave for Johannesburg until May 24.

And he may reserve a decision until after next weekend’s Heineken Cup semi-finals when Munster tackle Leinster in Dublin and Cardiff Blues face Leicester at the Millennium Stadium.

McGeechan can only hope there are no further casualties before departure but the omens are not promising, especially as this season’s Heineken Cup final – a day before the Lions leave – could be between Munster and Cardiff Blues, who provide 14 of McGeechan’s squad between them.