Tommy O'Brien hoping to bounce back from injury ahead of Connacht clash

"Thankfully I had enough to get over the line but, yeah, that was probably the least enjoyable try I’ve ever scored.”

By: irishmirror.ie

Dec 20 2024
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Tommy O'Brien hoping to bounce

Leinster's Tommy O'Brien is expected to start against Connacht this weekend after playing just seventeen minutes for the province this season.

Down to start on the right-wing against Edinburgh in URC Round One, things were looking even more promising as he eyed a pass that, once taken in, would leave the line at his mercy.

“James Ryan gave me a skip pass," he remembers, "I was probably in shock to get a skip pass from James Ryan and, I suppose, me and my hammy weren’t expecting that.”

“I’d taken about two steps and I just felt it go. Thankfully I had enough to get over the line but, yeah, that was probably the least enjoyable try I’ve ever scored.”

Fit again, O'Brien is looking forward to returning this weekend.

“Yeah, ready to go. Can’t wait for it, a good interpro game, so it’s good. I was hoping to maybe get involved last week but the physio said get another week of training under the belt.

"When you’re so close and you have the chance of a European game you are thinking ‘I’ll be fine’ but maybe better these decisions taken out of your hand.”

O'Brien has been battling injury for some time, limited to 11 appearances last season and three the season before, he has watched as players such as Rob Russell and Andrew Osborne have come onto the radar.

"Definitely, my patience has been tested the most in Irish rugby I reckon, it’s been a rough few years. I get a chance, get a run and I feel like I’m going well and then just get blighted with injuries.

"Hamstrings, just the nature of them, and having had a good few injuries in the past and it’s always when you’re first coming back from something that it is most risky.

"So, just getting two weeks of good training under the belt, get back into the swing of things I'm hoping to fly into this weekend with a bit of confidence.”

"Fingers crossed, I’ve got my injury out of the way for the year early and get a good run at it now for the next six months.”

Connacht will have been buoyed by last week's win over Perpignan and O'Brien's expects them to lay down a credible challenge against a Leinster side set for sizable rotation.

“I think so. We’re under no illusions there. Especially the game we had down in Galway, it was unbelievably windy.

"We were under the pump and then Andy Osborne caught that restart and it probably changed the game a little bit. If it wasn’t for that, it was very close to being a one-score game with 20 minutes left.

"I’d imagine they’d be pretty annoyed about that one getting away and as you said, they kind of rotated the team the last two weeks. There’ll be a good few lads coming in fresh and raring to have a go at us.”