TOMMY O’DONNELL COULD be in contention to play for Munster in next weekend’s return Champions Cup clash against Leicester Tigers at Welford Road.
O’Donnell is set to play for the first time in six weeks tomorrow night after being named in the back-row for the Munster ‘A’ side as they resume their defence of the British & Irish Cup against Bedford Blues at Musgrave Park [7.45pm].
The 30-year-old’s last appearance came in the southern province’s Guinness Pro14 defeat to Connacht at the end of October. Having been named in the Ireland squad for the November internationals, the Tipperary native missed the games against South Africa, Fiji and Argentina after spraining the AC joint in his shoulder in training.
Munster’s first team host Leicester at Thomond Park on Saturday, before playing the reverse fixture against the Aviva Premiership side a week on Sunday.
In O’Donnell’s absence, Chris Cloete has impressed in the Munster number seven shirt in recent weeks. The South African flanker was man of the match in the win against Zebre a fortnight ago and scored his first try in last weekend’s defeat of Ospreys.
Munster A (v Bedford Blues): Stephen Fitzgerald; Jack Power, David Johnston (captain), Alex McHenry, Liam Coombes; Bill Johnston, James Hart; Joey Conway, Mike Sherry, TBC; Fineen Wycherley, Sean McCarthy; Sean O’Connor, Tommy O’Donnell, Gavin Coombes. Replacements: Duncan Casey, Bryan O’Connor, John Foley, Jack O’Sullivan, John Poland, Conor Fitzgerald, Dave McCarthy.
