Richie McCaw recently returned from a three month layoff having broken his thumb. The Canterbury Crusaders put him at number six to accommodate their latest force of nature Matt Todd.
Todd went down in the opening exchanges forcing 80 minutes out of McCaw. He made 20 tackles, double the best ACT Brumbies marauder could manage, in a 40-20 victory.
The only flanker to have truly matched McCaw, since Heinrich Brüssow's all too brief rise in 2009, made his sixth outing for Leinster in what was generally accepted as a miserable showing against Edinburgh at the RDS last Saturday evening.
Seán O’Brien hadn’t suited up since badly dislocating his shoulder against Ulster on December 28th. Like McCaw, the Carlow farmer was accommodated at six to keep Jordi Murphy’s progress motoring.
“It’s great that he got 50 minutes after a long injury lay-off,” said Jonno Gibbes, the Clermont bound Leinster forwards coach. “I thought his production was really good.”
Even if some of his “timing and support work” wasn’t.
“Those are very small adjustments that can come back quickly,” Gibbes continued.
“As for his influence within the squad, it’s really good to have him out on the training ground. He just has a very settling presence. He’s not a complicated person. And he doesn’t compromise much either. And that brings a good focus to the rest of the group as well.”
In an Irish context, O’Brien has grown into a McCaw type figure.
“I wasn’t too pleased at the weekend with some of my technique stuff but it’s good to get involved again,” said the 27-year-old yesterday.
“I suppose getting 50 minutes in a very stop-start game, I don’t really know where I am at as such. I didn’t get my second wind or a big blow-out. It was very sloppy at the weekend but this weekend I’m sure it’ll be different.”
'Hefty' tackles
He wasn't even supposed to tour Argentina in June. The initial plan after surgery was not to take contact until August pre-season but a couple of "hefty" tackles in training last week was enough for both Leinster and Ireland coaches.
“I kind of got my strength back quickly enough as well so everything was good to go. It’s just that different lads heal quicker and recovery is obviously, in the rehab side of things, is way improved in the last while. They’ve seen so many injuries such as shoulders and knees and what-not and it’s getting quicker and quicker and quicker.”
Same can be said about the medial ligament tear sustained by Fergus McFadden in Toulon last month.
During O'Brien's five month lay-off Chris Henry and Murphy were promoted onto Ireland's openside flank in what became a championship winning campaign without O'Brien. Not that Tullow's hardest gets jealous of opponents. He's not a complicated man.
"I don't view it any differently than anything else. He [Henry] was obviously playing that position during the Six Nations but I'm not too fussed about getting into an individual battle, it's more about the collective thing this weekend.
“It’s not Ireland this week, we’re not competing for the same jersey and hopefully I’ll be able playing against him. When you get into individual battles you make mistakes and you do stupid stuff so it’s about the team this weekend.”
Negate Henry
Shane Jennings should return against Ulster, with Murphy possibly benched and O'Brien staying at six as the Leinster backrow seek to negate Henry's work over the ball.
O’Brien’s already well stocked injury profile means touring Argentina is not a foregone conclusion when the squad is released next week.
“I’m not sure yet. That’s a conversation I’ll probably have with Joe when we see where we are over the next week or two and take it from there. I’m just glad to be back with Leinster and if he needs me then I’ll go and if he is giving it to me off then I’ll take it off and put the feet up.”
Nobody wants that.
