Friendly fire takes its toll

Although the provinces are still only engaged in supposedly light pre-season run-outs, the surfeit of injuries continued apace over the weekend, with Ulster's stalwart ex-Irish hooker Allen Clarke yesterday undergoing surgery for a broken leg. The 33-yearold is likely to be sidelined for 1012 weeks after sustaining a spiral fracture of the fibula as well as ligament damage.

"We've been a wee bit unlucky with Dion (O'Cuinneagain) effectively out for the season," admitted Ulster assistant coach Mark McCall yesterday, referring to the broken wrist which O'Cuinneagain sustained in pre-season training. This is likely to sideline the Irish World Cup captain until Christmas, at which point O'Cuinneagain is due to return to South Africa to complete the final year of his medical studies.

"We're all really very sorry for Allen, especially as it was one of those freakish accidents," added McCall. "He bumped into a teammate while making a tackle, and Wardy (Andy Ward) had to get stitches in his head as a result of it."

These two injuries have been the only blights on an otherwise encouraging warm-up campaign which concludes with a home game against English second division side Rugby Lions this Friday when Jonathan Bell should get his first runout after last term's end-of-season hand operation.

Ulster have already accounted for an under-strength Leicester and Coventry, by 31-12 and 64-0, before beating Edinburgh Reivers 3711 in Ravenhill last Friday. Newcomers such as ex-Saracens centre Ryan Constable, Shane Stewart, Clem Boyd and South African back-rower Russell Nelson have blended in well, while David Humphreys and James Topping have apparently been on fire.

"We're not getting carried away though, we know the big test comes against Munster on Friday week," said McCall. Like all Ulster connections, McCall was "astonished" by the turn-out of 5,000 last Friday. "That's why we were really pleased we played some good stuff against a fairly strong Edinburgh team and the crowd for the Munster game should be massive."

Having come within a point of emulating Ulster as European champions and backboned Ireland's resurgence and the summer tour of the Americas, Munster's preparations have been a bit more low-key. "The priority was to try and give the tourists as much rest as possible," admitted Declan Kidney yesterday in light of the defeat to Gloucester with a makeshift team and last Saturday's 73-3 romp away to an under-strength Glasgow Caledonians. Hence their first combined session was a week ago.

Munster's team to play Mike Brewer's L'Aquila tomorrow evening in Musgrave Park (kick-off 7.30) won't be finalised until the day of the game due to a number of minor injuries to Jeremy Staunton, Tom Tierney, David Wallace and Mike Mullins. John Hayes (still carrying the after-effects of playing through a groin injury in last season's run-in) and John O'Neill have been ruled out, though Ronan O'Gara should be fit.

For Leinster, Emmet Farrell's serious knee injury was compounded by second-choice outhalf Andy Dunne being ruled out of the opening interpro at home to Connacht on Friday week after suffering concussion in the 48-5 defeat to Swansea on Saturday.

Similarly it is now feared that Farrell's Blackrock team-mate and new Connacht recruit, Tom Keating, will miss most and possibly all of the campaign after tearing his cruciate knee ligaments in the 30-20 defeat to Bedford which preceded the province's 57-3 win over L'Aquila last Saturday.