O'Connell's return to the fray provides Munster with ideal boost

AIB Cup:Paul O'Connell is expected to be available for Munster's Heineken European Cup round five tie against ASM Clermont Auvergne next Sunday at the Stade Marcel Michelin.

O'Connell was rerouted to Young Munster's Division Two fixture against Buccaneers, which they won 12-10, after Friday's match against Ulster in Ravenhill was snowed off. Playing for 35 minutes of the second half, the Ireland lock - sidelined by a disc problem in the lower back since the defeat by Argentina at the World Cup on September 30th - suffered no immediate adverse reaction.

"I enjoy training and the one thing that was needed after the World Cup to get rid of the disappointment was to get back training," he said. "I could not do that and have only been involved in contact training for two weeks. I had to rest my back and let it recover slowly. The conditions were ideal to test it with a lot of picking and driving, a lot of defending around the side of the rucks and a lot of scrums."

The Munster captain's return to club rugby, however brief, overshadowed some impressive performances from Leinster sides in the AIB Cup at the weekend.

Blackrock College earned a home quarter-final against UCD on February 2nd/3rd with a surprise 14-10 victory over Cork Constitution at Stradbrook.

Tries from wingers Shane Monahan and David Rowan, both converted by Fionn Carr, gave them a 14-0 half-time lead, and some solid defence ensured they reached the last eight of this competition for the first time.

UCD also impressed with a 27-22 win over UL Bohemian at the Belfield Bowl, the pick of their four tries being an intercept by centre Andrew Cummiskey. UL-Bohs had their Munster centre Barry Murphy on show and also introduced Paul Warwick as they chased the game in the second half.

Clontarf struggled against DLSP at Castle Avenue, eventually winning 24-15 thanks to second-half tries from Phil Howard and Max Rantz McDonald. The Howard touchdown came from a break from his own 22 by the Leinster academy scrumhalf Paul O'Donohoe.

Clontarf host the defending champions, Garryowen, in the last eight after they saw off Ballymena 35-8 at Dooradoyle. Shannon, who beat UCC 34-20, must travel to either St Mary's (where they have already lost this season) or Clonakilty. Galwegians' 37-13 defeat of Old Belvedere sees them face either Malone or Bruff, at Crowley Park.

Exact dates and times of the quarter-finals are unavailable but one imagines the IRFU will try to avoid a direct clash with Ireland's opening Six Nations game, against Italy (kick-off 2pm) on Saturday, February 2nd.

AIB Cup quarter-finals (February 2nd or 3rd)- Blackrock College v UCD, Clontarf v Garryowen, Galwegians v Malone or Bruff, St Mary's College or Clonakilty v Shannon. AIB Junior Cup quarter-finals - Clonmel v Westport, Navan v Clogher Valley, Tullamore v Seapoint, Sligo v Kanturk or Crosshaven.