RUGBY:That Paul O'Connell makes a return to competitive action this weekend is good news not just for the Munster coach, Declan Kidney, but also for the Ireland coach, Eddie O'Sullivan, who gathers his Six Nations squad together later this month.
The Ireland secondrow is named on the Munster match-day squad for the first time in eight months and takes his place among the replacements for his side's Magners League game against Ulster in Ravenhill Road this evening.
O'Connell has been struggling with a back injury and his last appearance in a Munster jersey was in the final game of the 2006-2007 season in the province's 38-20 victory over Glasgow Warriors at Musgrave Park.
His last competitive action of any kind was in a green jersey in Ireland's valedictory game of the autumn World Cup, when they were defeated by Argentina in Paris.
For Kidney the outing will have greater consequences than the league as Munster face into a hugely challenging game against Clermont Auvergne next week in their fourth Heineken European Cup pool match.
If O'Connell's back stands up to some action from the bench in Belfast, it will clearly give him a chance of being available in some way for the French trip, though, given the length of the lay-off, Kidney is unlikely to ask him to take a lead role in the pack just days after his return.
O'Connell was not named in Munster's original 25-strong squad, but the coach yesterday explained they had been talking to the player daily. Until the last week or two he had not taken part in any contact rugby.
"Paul's recovery was a very much a question of monitoring it on a day-to-day basis," said Kidney. "He trained earlier in the week, but had we named him then it might have put unnecessary focus on him, so we felt it better to wait and see how he came through yesterday's session before including him or not. He is fine today and now there is a possibility of him getting some game time on Friday."
Leinster are still mulling over the composition of their side to face the Ospreys on Saturday. Coach Michael Cheika has injury problems as well as a flu sweeping through the camp but insists there is no call for panic.
"No crisis," he said firmly. "One thing we have been able to do is build a bigger squad this season."
Cheika will name the team today and though captain Brian O'Driscoll is named in the 26-man squad there is continuing doubt over his availability.
Shane Horgan is not involved, while prop Ollie le Roux will definitely be kept out for another few weeks by his rib injury.
That leaves Cheika to select two starting props from Stan Wright, young Cian Healy and the returning Stephen Knoop and Ronan McCormack.
Leinster go into the meeting having had just one match in 10 days, while Ospreys have had a constant schedule over the holiday period. Supporters will hope the break has helped refresh the team, not least what has been a disappointing back line.
"I think I'm below par," said Gordon D'Arcy at the Leinster training camp in Dublin. "You can get the try-harder syndrome, which doesn't work. I try to look at individual pieces and see what's going wrong."
For D'Arcy and his team-mates, the often derided Magners League now holds greater importance than ever given qualification from their Heineken European Cup pool has become virtually impossible.
