Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
PLENTY MORE IN THE TANK
O’brien confident he still has lots to offer club & country once he gets back up to speed
SEAN O’BRIEN is confident he will keep rivals to his Ireland starting place at bay when he gets back up to speed.
The back row star made his comeback from a shoulder injury when he played the final hour of Leinster’s win over Connacht last Saturday, his first taste of competitive action since April.
It was a timely return, with the November series – including a mouth-watering clash with the All Blacks – fast approaching. “Great to be back,” said O’brien, who replaced the injured Rhys Ruddock and is set to feature in Saturday’s clash with Munster.
“There’s no point in going on and running around like a headless chicken.
“It was a case of just getting into it. It was a tough game.
“They’re a good attacking team, so it was a good game to be involved in to get a good hit out.
“It was great to get an hour under my belt. I wasn’t expecting that at all, obviously. But, I said to myself in the changing-room, ‘Someone could go down here early on’.
“I just had to slog my way through it. It was grand. I got a second wind and grew into the game. I was happy enough.”
Leo Cullen is more than pleased to have a player of O’brien’s experience, power and dynamism available again. And Ireland boss Joe Schmidt (inset) will be watching closely as the Tullow Tank builds up to full fitness.
“You always back yourself,” said O’brien. “When I’m as fit and in as good form as I can be, I back myself to play.
“But there are so many quality players as well – you have to be playing very consistently, you can’t have a bad game.
“There’s potentially eight or nine lads in the country who can play in the backrow at international level – that’s what you want, it’s healthy.
“It’s a massive competition here, Dan (Leavy) and Josh (van der Flier), Max (Deegan), Jack Conan, Rhys (Ruddock), they’re all international players.
“So it’s good that they’re driving each other and helping each other, by talking through different combinations and what not, it’s a good place to be.
“Obviously everyone would back themselves when they’re at full fitness.
“Wherever they want me to play, I’ll play, whether that be at six, seven or eight – at the weekend it was six.
“But wherever I’m rolled out I’ll be prepared to put my best foot forward.”