RUGBY:MORE BAD news was confirmed for Connacht yesterday as Brian Tuohy and long-serving openside flanker Johnny O'Connor were both ruled out with potential long-term injuries.
Tuohy broke his leg in Sunday’s agonising 15-13 defeat to Leinster at the Sportsground. The winger underwent surgery yesterday and recuperation will be several months at best.
O’Connor fractured his eye socket/cheekbone and, despite finishing the game early indications are that the 31-year-old will also require surgery.
In theory, Connacht’s best chance of ending a now 12-game losing streak should come in Italy this Saturday but the likelihood of this has been damaged by the latest injuries to Eric Elwood’s already tattered squad.
Ronan Loughney was another forced off with a shoulder problem against Leinster while Niall O’Connor pulled up in the warm- up and was unable to feature. As yet neither player has been ruled out of Saturday’s match against Aironi at the Stadio Zaffanella.
This weekend is the last instalment of RaboDirect Pro 12 action until the second weekend in February although that round also overlaps with the second installment of the Six Nations.
The Heineken Cup then takes over for the next two weeks with Connacht off to Toulouse for their fifth and most daunting European encounter of the campaign.
Leinster are expected to field a full-strength side, unlike the mixing and matching of the interprovincial fixtures over the holiday period, for their meeting with the Blues in Cardiff on Saturday.
That means the Irish contingent should all return along with Kevin McLaughlin, who was rested on New Year’s Day.
The Blues Lions centre Jamie Roberts will not be fit and is currently facing a battle to feature against Ireland in the Six Nations opener in Dublin on February 5th.
Leinster can wrap up Pool Three with victory in Glasgow on January 15th.
Munster will be looking to regain third place in the Pro 12 table by gathering a full compliment of points at home to Treviso. New Ireland captain Paul O’Connell, Ronan O’Gara, Keith Earls, Donnacha Ryan, Donncha O’Callaghan and Conor Murray should all return to the starting line-up although it is unclear whether Denis Leamy (hip) and Peter O’Mahony (jaw) will recover in time. Castres come to Limerick on January 14th.
Rory Best’s availability for Ulster remains the main concern as they go to Edinburgh on Friday night. Their other internationals – Tom Court, Stephen Ferris and Andrew Trimble – are due to return but Best is a doubt for the meeting with the Leicester Tigers at Ravenhill on January 13th.
