RUGBY:THE LONGEST possible rugby season switches back to Magners League action this week but one eye is now firmly trained on the World Cup.
John Hayes makes a welcome return to the Munster squad for Friday’s trip to Cardiff, possibly along with Marcus Horan, should Declan Kidney require the 2009 Grand Slam props, who will presumably be given an opportunity in the August Test matches against Scotland, France (twice) and England to make the flight to New Zealand.
Hayes and Horan featured off the bench in the 28-3 defeat of Ulster A at Shaw’s Bridge last Wednesday with 37-year-old Hayes expected to recover fully from a groin problem that ended his record breaking Six Nations appearances for an Irish forward.
The Ireland players who overran the English on Saturday are also expected back at their provincial day jobs this morning. A decision on their availability will be made on an individual basis but playing this weekend is not a major concern considering there is a fortnight before European action when Leinster host English champions Leicester at the Aviva Stadium, Ulster go to Stadium:MK to face the Northampton Saints and Munster visit Brive in the unfamiliar surrounds of the Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-final.
The boost of Hayes, Horan and the Irish contingent is, however, offset by the continued unavailability of Munster’s other Grand Slam members Jerry Flannery (calf) and Tomás O’Leary (eye). Flannery, another to miss the Six Nations with injury, continues to be monitored by the IRFU and Munster medical staff. O’Leary could conceivably return to feature in France on April 9th.
Yet another member of the Grand Slam 22 that Kidney would welcome back would be Stephen Ferris (the only problem now would be where to accommodate him in the team). The big flanker has been breaking personal bests in the gym and is running again having also missed the Six Nations after damaging knee cartilage in Ulster’s 43-6 defeat of Aironi on January 22nd; a victory that ensured safe passage to their first Heineken Cup quarter-final since 1999. The targeted return for Ferris is the Scarlets match at Ravenhill on April 1st.
Ulster’s Munster-bound tighthead prop BJ Botha (not that they are complaining about replacing him with All Black John Afoa) is also struggling to recover from ligament damage in his arm while there is a concern surrounding outhalf Ian Humphreys’ hamstring.
Paddy Wallace is one of four returning Irish players who could feature in Glasgow on Friday having only played a combined total of 14 minutes, despite being selected on the Irish bench for all five championship matches. Wallace will be keen to get back playing regularly having garnered far too much negative attention for his decision not to pass to Keith Earls in the closing stages of the 19-13 defeat in Cardiff.
Meanwhile, Walesonline.co.uk are reporting the altercation between Welsh assistant coach Shaun Edwards and team sports scientist Fergus Connolly was over the latter’s singing of an Irish folk song on the team bus after the Ireland game on March 12th. The Wales management and players have refused to comment on the incident. Neither member of the backroom travelled with the squad to Paris for the Saturday’s 28-9 defeat to France.
