Reporter: “How’s the body going to feel after you retire?”
Sean O’Brien: “Broken up.”
Leinster’s “50/50” calls look like they are going against them.
Robbie Henshaw may well be back ahead of schedule for the province but Luke McGrath is struggling to prove his fitness for Saturday’s Champions Cup semi-final with Scarlets. Team news will be confirmed on Friday afternoon but neither McGrath nor Sean O’Brien are expected to make the squad.
Prolonged periods on the sideline have become frustratingly common for Sean O’Brien. He did not play a single Test match for Ireland in 2014, missed most of 2016 and has fought shoulder, hamstring and hip injuries over the past two seasons. He has played 68 minutes of rugby this year and we may not see him again this season.
Having returned from three months out with a hip injury, O’Brien lasted 28 minutes against Scarlets, in March, and played the first half against Treviso last weekend. Senior coach Stuart Lancaster told reporters, on Monday, that the plan was always to give the flanker 40 minutes but few watching him in action against the Italians would have been convinced he was anywhere near 100%.
O’Brien did not feature in much of the open part of Leinster’s training session in Donnybrook, on Monday, and Lancaster said Tuesday would be make-or-break for many players pushing for selection. The latest news, reported by the42.ie, is that O’Brien and Luke McGrath are not going to be involved against Scarlets.
The unfortunate reality is that O’Brien’s shoulder may well need surgery. The call has yet to be made but the option of giving it time to heal has no guarantee of alleviating the soreness. If it is indeed another visit to the surgeon’s, the 31-year-old will do so as soon as possible and would miss the remainder of the season.
Being fallible is something most modern players must contend with on an increasingly frequent basis but it is something most of them prefer to put out of their mind. Stephen Ferris, who’s own career was blighted with injuries, maintained that players would not go full throttle into tackles, rucks and more if they stopped to think about injuries or past woes.
O’Brien made that ‘broken up’ comment [above] back in July 2014. Since then, he has battled shoulder, ankle, hip and hamstring injuries. There have been other knocks, too, but nothing uncommon for a modern rugby professional.
The Carlow native missed out on the 2018 Grand Slam and also had to look on from afar as Joe Schmidt steered Ireland to the 2014 Six Nations title. He has been involved in 2011 and 2012 European Cup victories but, given Leinster’s red-hot form, stacked squad and young talent, may miss out on more glory next month.
O’Brien’s ultimate aim may be getting to the 2019 World Cup as Ireland’s first-choice openside. He has found, during his time on the sideline, that men like Josh van der Flier and Dan Leavy has capably stepped up to fill the void he has left.
Surgery may well end another season early for O’Brien but this does not have to be the end. On his day, and when he is close to that elusive 100%, there are few back rows in world rugby that can touch him.
His body has taken some almighty damage over the past decade. Still, we’re convinced he will be a force to be reckoned with again in 2018/19 and a few months beyond. After that is as wishful as thinking comes.
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