McGahan upbeat on Howlett recovery

NEWS:MUNSTER COACH Tony McGahan is confident Doug Howlett will make a full recovery from the Achilles' tendon injury which will keep him out of action for the rest of the season.

McGahan said he felt 33-year-old Howlett, who underwent surgery yesterday, has the attitude and ability to bounce back.

“You have got some clear and recent examples of players doing their Achilles, such as Dan Carter and Ali Williams. You had Jared Payne up in Ulster with the same injury. Both of those New Zealand guys have come back and played extremely well and been World Cup winners.

“We see Doug being in the same boat, with the professionalism, the way he carries himself and the way he trains and looks after himself, he is the ultimate professional. He’ll certainly give himself every opportunity,” he said.

McGahan said they would not rule out bringing in someone to replace Howlett this season but the first option was to get through with what they had.

“In isolation I don’t think it would create such a problem but when you add in Felix Jones and Keith Earls to the mix too and you look at three really dynamic, three really exciting, attacking players in our back line, let along our back three.

“At the same time you have to find ways to get a result and we have to do that this weekend. It provides opportunities for other players to gain and be involved on Saturday which is terrific,” added McGahan, who said winger Simon Zebo, who could make his Heineken Cup debut on Saturday, would be tested today to establish the extent of an ankle injury.

McGahan added that Keith Earls could be in line to feature against Scarlets on Sunday week, while there was a possibility Felix Jones might return before the end of the pool stages.

Munster captain Paul O’Connell said he also believes Howlett will come back from the injury which is going to sideline him for the season.

“Yeah, no doubt about it. The way he looks after his body and the way he trains there is no reason why he wouldn’t do that in his rehab as well. I’d be very hopeful he will come back. He just prepares incredibly well. He always knows his role inside out and then he always produces the goods. He doesn’t just train hard, he plays hard as well and always produces the goods for us.

“He’s very consistent and he’s a very calming influence as well around the team. He doesn’t have a lot to say but when he speaks he generally knows what he’s saying and means what he’s saying, and says it well. He’s the perfect player, really, so he’s a big loss but it creates an opportunity for someone else,” added O’Connell.

Meanwhile, the Munster captain said Ronan O’Gara’s mental strength is the thing that makes him an exceptional player. He said the outhalf, who will play his 100th Heineken Cup game on Saturday against the Scarlets, had a resilience that all young players should aspire towards.

Munster head to Wales with two wins from two outings in the Heineken Cup this season after O’Gara landed last-gasp drop goals to beat Northampton and Castres.

“You know in a game that if we are on the ropes you have a guy there that can pull it out of the fire for you and that actually wants to be in that position, that wants to have the clutch kick or to produce the play to win a game or a drop goal, as he has done in the past.

“I think that’s probably the big thing about him, his mental strength. It’s brilliant.

“You want to have as many great players in your team as you can but then you want to have players that you know when they have a setback, they are going to come back stronger and harder than ever.

“Be that a setback in the middle of a game, or be that a setback career-wise with an injury or being dropped or whatever, you want guys that have that kind of mental toughness in your team, and that’s what he has in abundance,” said O’Connell.

The Munster skipper said O’Gara lifts the entire squad by his attitude on and off the field.

“That’s why he is such an inspirational guy for the team and probably for everyone watching him. It’s probably the thing that separates Rog from a lot of other people; he has a mental resilience about him that is very admirable and inspires everyone else throughout the team,” added O’Connell.