BATTLEFIELD READY
Tank is re-armoured & set to lead Leinster’s mission to keep titles
THERE’S a caged animal getting ready to be unleashed in Leinster colours.
Sean O’brien will be 32 in February but believes he’s never been in better shape as he counts down to his latest comeback.
The Tullow Tank is confident the injury problems that forced him to miss out on Leinster’s double-winning success and Ireland’s Grand Slam and Australian tour triumphs have been repaired and he’s almost ready to rock again.
Certainly Rob Kearney feels when O’brien is let loose, he will be hard to contain.
“He’s going to be like a caged animal when he gets back, he said.
“That’ll be brilliant for us. If he’s back and fit and playing, he’ll be a huge driver in improving the team.”
O’brien only took two weeks off over the summer and his reward will be a return to the field in the next week or two.
He declared: “I’m probably in better shape than I have been in my life, so I should be in the best place possible – better than I’ve ever been in my career – when I come back.
“I know I’ve ticked every box. I haven’t done anything that will impede me in any way coming back. I’ll have done everything I could have to be as fit as possible.
“It was disappointing to miss out on everything, but it was great to see the transformation of some players – younger lads getting through and getting to that place where they wanted to get to.”
There have been several false dawns but the experienced back row is confident of a different outcome.
“I don’t have big loose pieces in my shoulder that are going to impede me when I hit something,” he smiled.
“That’s all tidied up. My hip issue, that’s stronger than ever. I’m probably stronger in every asset.”