RUGBY:PAUL O'CONNELL was not named in Munster's 27-man squad yesterday for their Amlin Challenge Cup semi-final against Harlequins at Thomond Park on Saturday, but the Lions captain could yet feature depending on how he comes through training today.
O’Connell has made a rapid recovery from the ankle ligament injury he sustained in the Magners Cup win over Leinster and after the worst fears were dispelled with a four to six weeks recovery prognosis, he could yet return in the shortest timeframe.
“He had his first training session with the team on Tuesday and he’s pulled up okay today, so we’ll monitor him again tomorrow and make a decision on Friday morning,” said Tony McGahan, and admitted O’Connell could be drafted in yet. “It’s a possibility. We’re not ruling out anything yet at this stage. The team has been travelling well without him so we’ll just have to look at the best fit for everybody.”
Tomás O’Leary will not be involved at the weekend after his recurring back problem resurfaced before last week’s win away to the Ospreys, though he should return at home to Connacht on Friday week. Alan Quinlan didn’t make the cut yesterday but like other departing players, he is set to have a farewell home game against Connacht.
In most respects, the Munster team will largely be unchanged from their thrilling 42-37 quarter-final win in Brive. Aside from O’Connell, the one other potential change might be in midfield, where Paul Warwick was accommodated for the wins away to the Scarlets and the Ospreys.
“That’s a real option for us,” conceded McGahan, “just to balance our attack at semi-final stage. You’re looking to get your good attackers on the field and also provide some kicking options and then maybe look at the defence aspect. Paul adds great value to the group and certainly he’s played very well in big games at Thomond Park in the past.”
Munster may be in less preferred territory, but it’s a competition they want to win. “It is, without a doubt, and that’s been our focus for the last three months, really, after the Toulon game. Any time you play at Thomond Park it’s a big occasion and in the semi-final of a competition there’s a trophy at the end of it. We’re a competitive side, we’re a competitive organisation, so we want to make sure we’re competing on any front, no matter where it is.”
Three successive away victories have extended their winning run to eight matches (five of them on the road) and McGahan has also built for the future in granting regular game time to Felix Jones and Conor Murray, along with the likes of Ian Nagle, Simon Zebo and others in making a dozen changes for the win over the Scarlets. A relatively clean bill of health after “an horrendous run with injuries over the last two years to key players” has helped, yet it says everything about the strides being made by Jones and Murray that nobody will bat an eyelid when they are named at 15 and nine tomorrow.
“That’s a tremendous reflection on those two individuals,” said McGahan, who added of Jones: “He’s certainly given us a different component to our game with regard to counter-attacking but also kicking and positional play.
“To come back from two long-term injuries and find the form that he has shows how hard he’s worked on his game – his kicking, his passing, his positional play along with his defence. He’s always had a fearless approach to his game but he’s worked so hard on those elements, and he’s a tremendous example for players to work hard on their games and when the opportunity presents itself be good enough to take it. And that’s what he’s done.”
Murray (22) has all the basic ingredients of a good scrumhalf, and with three full-time scrum-halves named ahead of him in Munster’s European squad, has also had to wait for opportunity to knock.
Much of Harlequins’ game comes through their 8-9-10 axis of Nick Easter, Danny Care and Nick Evans, which will ensure a big test for Murray. “They’re the go-forward players who spark most of their attack so we really need to deny them a platform from set-piece and phase attack. You really need to blunt them and make sure they’re not getting quick ball because they’ve shown they can take teams apart.”
This competition could yet be Quins’ only route into next season’s Heineken Cup, as they are currently seventh in the Premiership. Conor O’Shea has described Thomond Park as “the ultimate challenge in European competition so our intensity levels will have to be really high”, and such is Munster’s status in their Limerick citadel that, as ever, it also makes winning there the ultimate scalp, with English sides being perhaps more attuned to this than their French counterparts.
“Everybody comes to Thomond Park to do something special and Harlequins will be no different,” said McGahan. “We’re well used to that, over the years Munster have been defending their fortress at home and Saturday’s going to be another one of those opportunities for us.”
MUNSTER SQUAD (27): Johne Murphy, Felix Jones, Denis Hurley, Doug Howlett, Keith Earls, Sam Tuitupou, Lifeimi Mafi, Paul Warwick, Ronan O’Gara, Peter Stringer, Conor Murray, Marcus Horan, Wian du Preez, John Hayes, Tony Buckley, Stephen Archer, Damien Varley, Mike Sherry, Donncha O’Callaghan, Mick O’Driscoll, Donnacha Ryan, Ian Nagle, Tommy O’Donnell, David Wallace, Niall Ronan, James Coughlan, Denis Leamy.
