O’Brien backs himself on his return in blue
SEAN O’BRIEN knows exactly what Munster will bring to the table when they visit Lansdowne Road for their Pro14 clash this Saturday. In fact, there is no team with whom he is better acquainted.
Of the 23 Munster players that featured in the Reds’ 64-7 hammering of Ulster last weekend, O’Brien has lined out alongside 13 with either Leinster or Ireland.
Of that baker’s dozen, none bring the same level of intrigue as Joey Carbery who, this summer, made the switch from Leinster blue to Munster red in a bid to boost his international prospects. This weekend presents a first opportunity for the electric outhalf to take on his former teammates, and despite his hugely exciting start to life in Thomond Park, O’Brien insists the Blues won’t spend too much time sweating over the threat their former dressing-room ally will bring.
Leinster v Munster is always bigger than any individual player.
‘Yeah, he’ll know a good bit about us obviously, and we’ll know a good bit about what he can do too,’ O’Brien says.
‘If he’s playing 10 he’s playing 10 and if he’s playing somewhere else, he’s playing somewhere else. We’ll see when they pick their team I suppose. He’ll know a lot about us, but nothing I’d say Munster don’t know already about us. One man won’t dictate a whole game, so it will be about negating him if he does play.
‘You absolutely focus on yourselves. Whatever they’re doing, they’re doing — it’s about us, preparing ourselves to be the best we can be when we go out at the weekend. These games are always exciting for both clubs, we’ll have a look at them today and tomorrow, see where their strengths and weaknesses are.’
Looking at the hectic schedule of games that pile up over the next few weeks — the visit of Munster is followed by a European Champions Cup opener at home to Wasps before a trip to Toulouse that leads into Ireland’s November internationals — you get the sense that O’Brien is simply happy to be back in the mix.
The reigning Pro14 and European Champions could also welcome back Ireland internationals Dan Leavy and James Ryan for the visit of Munster, with both back in training after recovering from head injuries, while Jack McGrath is also making good progress with his knee problem.
Saturday’s dogged 20-3 win over Connacht was O’Brien’s first runout since April following hip and shoulder issues.
The plan was to ease the Lions star back into things, but an early injury to Rhys Ruddock meant O’Brien made a lengthier contribution than had been expected, playing 55 minutes at the Sportsground.
‘It was great to get an hour under my belt. I wasn’t expecting that at all,’ he adds. ‘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 thought.’
With the strength in depth in the Leinster back-row, O’Brien insists he still expects to play a major role over the season for both province and country, despite the increasing number of hungry, young contenders looking to overtake him.
‘You always back yourself, when I’m as fit as I can be and in as good form as I can be, I back myself to play,’ he continues.
‘But you know, there’s 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 back-row at international (level) — so that’s what you want, it’s healthy.
‘It’s massive competition here, Dan (Leavy) and Josh (van der Flier), Max (Deegan), Jack Conan, Rhys, they’re all international [standard] players, so it’s good that they’re driving each other and helping each other in a way, by talking through different combinations, it’s a good place to be. Obviously everyone would back themselves when they’re at full fitness.’
And, with just one game under his belt this season, how will he cope if he ends up defending a one-on-one against a full-speed Joey Carbery?
‘Don’t end up one-on-one with him,’ he smiles. ‘No forward wants to come up against any back oneon-one really, bar you have a touchline to work with.
‘Nothing will change for us, we’ll stick to our defensive system and make sure none of their backs get a one-on-one hopefully.’
“It’s healthy when there’s competition for places”