MUNSTER LOCK PAUL O’CONNELL is set for a mid-December surgery date as he looks to set right his ailing back.
O’Connell has played just twice for Munster this season – appearing in Heineken Cup clashes with Racing Metro and Edinburgh in October.
The respective 50 and 60 minute stints seemed to suggest that the 33-year-old would be fit for Ireland’s November Series but a niggling back injury put paid to hopes of him lining out in green.
The southern province have refused to set out a timetable for O’Connell’s return.
It now appears likely that he will be going down the surgery route in an effort to return in time for Heineken Cup pool round five and six and the Six Nations in February and March.
Munster coach Rob Penney confirmed after the 15-9 victory over Saracens at the weekend that there would be no return for O’Connell in the coming weeks.
Penney said, “I think there’s something coming out about Paul in the next week or so.”
No go on Joe show
Leinster coach Joe Schmidt confirmed after Leinster’s 15-12 Heineken Cup defeat to Clermont, yesterday, that he would not be part of the British and Irish Lions coaching ticket.
Talking to Sky Sports after his side lost for the first time in 18 European outings, Schmidt said he would not be travelling to Hong Kong and Australia with Warren Gatland’s Lions next summer.
“I’m not going to be one of [the coaches],” he revealed.
Schmidt added, “I’ve got my hands full with these [Leinster] guys to be honest.”
Leinster take on Clermont Auvergne at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday and the New Zealander admitted that his side’s best hopes for qualification to the knock-out stages may lie in securing a spot as best runner-up. He commented:
We may have to scramble in as best qualifier… It’s difficult enough to beat this team [Clermont] rather than chasing bonus points.”
Former Welsh rugby star Ieuan Evans, who knows Gatland well, told Sky Sports that he expected the Lions coaching staff to included Rob Howley, Andy Farrell and Graham Rowntree.
The announcement on the Lions coaching ticket will be made on Wednesday.
The delusion continues
You stay as long as you want Brendan. Another 26 years would be great.
“I will do my best with what I am working”. because what youre working with had nothing to do with you? jog on.
I cringe every time I hear or read anything out of Rodgers’ mouth now. He has lost his way as a coach. The fans that he didn’t lose after Stoke are now beginning to turn on him.The media smells blood, and will keep putting the boot in.
Even if he wins the Derby, and the games after that, he is now only ever one or two defeats from “crisis”.
Sooner or later, Rodgers’ had to go – and it is probably sooner.
The big question in the media is “who replaces Rodgers?”. A bigger, more relevant question is: who in the LFC hierarchy is qualified to make the decision on who replaces Rodgers? The answer, fatally for Liverpool fans’ ambitions, is no-one. That’s a much bigger problem, and a harder one to resolve.
big sam is the man or Tony Mowbray
so much money spent and they are rebuilding again? id be pretty pissed and start with sacking this bluffer.
Only reason he is still in a job is because the Board haven’t agreed a deal yet with anyone else to manage the club. Dead man walking is Rodgers.
Totally agree that he is a dead man walking – everyone knows it.
Here’s the thing, though: who on the board knows anything about football? Henry and Werner don’t. Ayre is a commercial guy, really, with limited clout. Mike Gordon seems to be FSG’s “LFC guy” – he is a hedge fund manager. That leaves Dalgleish, if he is even involved.
I’m sure they have a few former players on the other end of a phone if they need advice, there intelligent people the yanks, the thing about them is, if they don’t understand something they will always seek out information off people to find out. It’s a business for them. I’d let Rodgers go and bring in Kenny and Carra for the interim and write off this season, if it’s not possible to get a Klopp or Ancelotti now.
Look at recent history of managers. Rodgers Hodgson Kenny. Ancelotti is to expensive maybe 6 or 7 mill a year. I just don’t see fsg spending the dough on a manager.
The big problem is a lack of vision. FSG bought LFC because it was going cheap, but they never had – and still don’t seem to have – a strategy for the club, apart from “sell it at a profit”.
Klopp, Ancelotti – even Guardiola! – won’t win anything at LFC until the vision and institutional leadership is sorted out. That, and increasing the wage bill, are necessary if LFC is to compete for anything ever again.
Should of gone last season but offered his backroom instead
Rumour is he’s gone by the end of October.
Have.
I think he should be worried… This Liverpool looks worst the last year and this time he cannot blame Balotelli…
Loads of stories coming out over twitter Yesterday evening, can’t see him being there come the end of the month.
Lose tomorrow, and he’ll be gone Monday
gone next week anyway if the rumours are true