Tommy O’Donnell under starter’s orders

It was four summers ago that Tommy O’Donnell feared the worst for his playing career, never mind his future at Test level.

A dislocated hip, sustained in a freak accident during the dying minutes of Ireland’s opening World Cup warm-up game in Cardiff against Wales, threatened to spell the end of the road for the Munster flanker but the 32-year-old never lost hope of returning to the heights with the national team.