Injury ends O’brien World Cup hopes
Ireland back rower Sean O’brien has been ruled out of the World Cup, with Leinster confirming that the 32-year-old needs hip surgery.
Leinster, who secured the Pro14 title with an 18-15 victory over Glasgow Warriors on Saturday, said that O’brien would undergo the operation “in the next few weeks” and would require “up to six months” to recover fully.
That would appear to end his hopes of adding to his 56 Ireland caps in Japan later this year. Having featured at the 2011 and 2015 tournaments, this would have been O’brien’s third World Cup.
The injury also seems certain to delay the start of his career at London Irish, who added him to their roster ahead of their imminent return to the Premiership.
O’brien, who has not played since Leinster’s 20-10 defeat by Saracens in the Champions Cup final on May 11, lifted the Pro14 trophy on behalf of his province at Celtic Park.
Johnny Sexton, Leinster’s captain and a long-time team-mate of O’brien’s, said afterwards: “We knew early enough in the week that Seany was struggling a little bit, and we wanted to make sure his last contribution wasn’t Saracens.
“His last memory now will be lifting the trophy. It was fitting. We’re really going to miss him. He’s one of the best I’ve ever played with.”
Wing James Lowe hailed Leinster’s collective effort.
“I think we used 57 players this year,” he said. “It’s about all the boys who have put in the graft throughout the year.”
Ireland are now without two influential back-rowers for the World Cup in O’brien, also a two-time British and Irish Lions tourist with five Test appearances, as well as Dan Leavy.
Their campaign begins with a match against Scotland in Yokohama on Sept 22 followed by further pool games against hosts Japan, then Russia and Samoa.
Meanwhile, centre Peter Horne believes that the good times are in view for Glasgow.
The Pro14 final was more disappointment for Dave Rennie’s squad, who lost out to Scarlets in the semifinals at the end of the Kiwi’s first campaign in charge last season.
But Scotland international Horne is hopeful that they can lift silverware next year.
“It’s gutting, it just feels like another one that got away,” he said after Warriors’ defeat.
“We were right in the game, even at the death, but didn’t play quite as well as we have the last month. Hopefully, next year we can come good.”