O'Connell has first game back: Lions tour in June may now be realistic target

Irish secondrow Paul O’Connell will play his first match since last year when he takes to the pitch at the University of Limerick bowl on Tuesday.

While it appears to be too late to play any part in Ireland’s Six Nations campaign, Munster’s next significant date is their Heineken Cup match against Harlequins in the Twickenham Stoop on April 7th.

If the former Irish captain recovers sufficiently and gains match fitness and form, a place on the Lions tour in June may now be a realistic target.

O’Connell, who has been plagued with injury over the last year, missed Ireland’s summer tour to New Zealand in 2012 with a knee injury and briefly returned before being sidelined again with a bulging disc in his back.

He trained with Young Munster on Tuesday night and took part in contact sessions with the club.

Next week’s match is an ‘A’ interprovincial tie between Munster ‘A’ and Leinster ‘A’.