Eyebrows were raised when Munster plucked Dion O'Cuinn eagain's name out of the hat as one of their additional two players in their 34-man squad for the knock-out stages of the European Cup. As ever though, the Munster Brains Trust were one step ahead of the posse and O'Cuinneagain's inclusion could yet transpire into something of a master stroke.
In the light of current circumstances, O'Cuinneagain will now probably come into the reckoning for the semi-final against Stade Francais in Lille on April 21st. Alan Quinlan joined David Wallace on Munster's injured list last Saturday when suffering a fractured thumb in Shannon's win over Young Munster and like Wallace (torn medial ligament) the prognosis for a return to action is four to six weeks.
Both players are clinging to the hope that they might yet return to action in time for the semi-final but, realistically, medical advice demands that Munster prepare themselves for the worst. There are still a number of back-rowers named in the squad in addition to Anthony Foley (who suffered a slight knee injury last Saturday and could be sidelined, too, for a week at a time when he needs games) such as Donnacha O'Callaghan, Ultan O'Callaghan, Jerry Murray and David Bowles, as well as winger Colm McMahon.
O'Callaghan, however, will be in Chile for a fortnight as part of the Irish under-19s coaching staff while McMahon is due to have an operation for a chipped bone in his shoulder. Clearly, if a little unnervingly, this is the kind of scenario the Munster management must have feared when naming O'Cuinneagain as cover. Accordingly they were in touch with the former Irish captain last week and will be contacting him again this week.
O'Cuinneagain, though, is currently in South Africa completing the final year of his medical studies. "He's working very hard and has difficulty getting time off from his studies," admitted Declan Kidney who pointed out that the most time O'Cuinneagain could take off would be a week, thus ruling out the possibility of him playing in the Good Friday warmup match between Munster and the rest of Ireland at Thomond Park on April 13th.
O'Cuinneagain won the last of his 19 caps as a replacement against Italy last season. The 28year-old back-rower has missed much of the season with a broken hand which meant that he wasn't even named among Ulster's 30man squad for the European Cup this season - hence his eligibility for Munster.
The flip side of this, as Kidney put it, is that "Dion hasn't played a match since September and won't be able to between now and the semi-final, so it would be a huge ask of him. We'll wait and see. A lot can still happen in the next three weeks and the guys who have been training with the squad deserve the first crack at the whip, so we'll see how they go with their clubs."
France were yesterday hit by six withdrawals from their training camp for the Six Nations championship match against England at Twickenham next month. Wing Emile Ntamack (knee), centre Stephane Glas (ribs) and fullback Pepito Elhorga (shoulder) have all declared themselves unavailable for the four-day session at La Teste - but are likely to be fit for selection if required. Scrumhalf Pierre Mignoni (knee) and forwards Christophe Moni (knee) and Francis Ntamack (back) also pulled out and are considered doubtful for France's final match of the championship on April 7th.
Prop Christian Califano had already been ruled out because of a groin injury and flanker Olivier Magne is struggling to overcome back trouble..
Centre Sebastien Bonetti is suffering from a groin injury, while hooker Olivier Azam is suspended. Scrumhalf Philippe Carbonneau has been recalled as cover for Mignoni.
Coach Bernard Laporte has named five newcomers in the squad - prop Alessio Galasso, lock David Gerard, centre JeanCharles Cistac, wing Aurelien Rougerie and full back Nicolas Jeanjean.
FRANCE (training squad v England) - Backs: P Carbonneau (Pau), F Galthie (Colomiers), C Lamaison (Agen), G Merceron (Montferrand), D Skrela (Colomiers), J-C Cistac (Pau), X Garbajosa (Toulouse), T Lombard (Stade Francais), C Dominici (Stade Francais), P Bernat-Salles (Biarritz), A Rougerie (Montferrand), N Jeanjean (Toulouse), C Desbrosse (Toulouse), S Viars (Montferrand), R Chanal (Aurillac). Forwards: R Ibanez (Castres), S Marconnet (Stade Francais), O Milloud (Bourgoin), A Galasso (Montferrand), D Gerard (Toulouse), P de Villiers (Stade Francais), F Landreau (Stade Francais), F Pelous (Toulouse, capt), D Auradou (Stade Francais), L Nallet (Bourgoin), A Benazzi (Agen), O Magne (Montferrand), A Audebert (Montferrand), C Milheres (Biarritz), O Brouzet (Northampton), T Lievremont (Biarritz).
