Blow for Munster as Ellison injury is worse than feared

New Zealander Rhys Ellison's ankle injury is even worse than the player and Munster feared. He cracked a bone in his ankle during Saturday's 18-13 win over Connacht, thereby sidelining him for six to eight weeks.

Initially, it was thought that the hard-tackling Ellison had merely twisted his ankle when tackling Alan Reddan as the Connacht winger cleared to touch, thus putting him out of action for no more than a week to three weeks. Ellison will now be out of action for Munster's opening two matches in the European Cup and probably the remainder of their inter-provincial campaign.

Ominously for Munster, they conceded a try through their midfield within two minutes of Ellison's departure and the team's manager, Jerry Holland, scarcely concealed his disappointment over this significant setback. "His form has been exceptional for us in the last year and he was superb again on Saturday."

Munster will announce their side tomorrow morning for Friday's inter-provincial against Leinster in Dooradoyle. However, the IRFU's directive that the game be brought forward to Friday hasn't exactly helped Munster's preparations, and may preclude them from promoting any of the A team which played Morocco yesterday given the reduced time-span between games. Nor is it ideal that the A inter-provincial between Munster and Leinster goes ahead at midday on Saturday.

Leinster too, have delayed the selection of their team pending a number of fitness reports on their walking wounded tomorrow evening. Ulster are not expected to announce their line-up until tomorrow either. Their hosts on Saturday, Connacht, will show their hand today, although they are resigned to being without Irish scrum-half Conor McGuinness as well as full-back Russell Southam.

That game has been put back by 15 minutes to 3.15. This is in deference to the Council of Churches' call for two minutes' remembrance at 3.10 for the victims of last Saturday's bombing in Omagh.

Officers of the Ulster Branch met yesterday morning to discuss the best course of action in light of last Saturday's events, in the knowledge that both the IRFU and Connacht Branch would willingly support any action they might take.

"We considered all the different options and the most appropriate way to do things, and agreed that the kick-off should be deferred to 3.15, in line with the course of action taken by the IFA (Irish Football Association) and the Cricket Union," said the Ulster chief executive Michael Reid.

The delayed kick-off times will also apply to the opening matches in the Ulster Senior League, with Omagh's game at Collegians unlikely to go ahead.

"The people of the province are distraught and no one can put a time period on when grieving should stop and when a resumption of sporting activity should start again. The general feeling in the province seems to be that things have to go on."

Officers of the IRFU met last Saturday morning in Galway to again consider the ultimate destiny of the proposed floodlights in the city. The choice resides between the Sportsground, (privately owned and therefore not an ideal investment), Galwegians' ground in Glenina (which may face difficulties in obtaining planning permission and has limited scope for development and parking) and Corinthians' ground on the Tuam Road, Corinthian Park (most accessible by road, with the best car parking facilities and developmental potential, but without public transport and almost three miles from Eyre Square). The Union again deferred their decision.