Tommy O’Brien: ‘Definitely my patience has been tested the most in Irish rugby’
Following another frustrating spell on the sidelines earlier this season, Leinster’s Tommy O’Brien is hopeful his injury woes are now very much in the past.
After missing the majority of the 2022/23 campaign because of a knee issue – his first appearance of the term was against Emirates Lions in round 17 of the United Rugby Championship – O’Brien initially hit the ground running last season with three tries in as many games.
However, the versatile back subsequently picked up an ankle injury in his fourth outing of the term and while he eventually regained full fitness, he subsequently missed a number of additional fixtures owing to a hamstring problem.
He had a recurrence of the latter injury in the act of scoring a try away to Edinburgh in the opening round of this season’s URC and this ultimately ruled him out of the Emerging Ireland Tour of South Africa in October. Yet O’Brien was close to making it back for Leinster’s European Champions Cup clash with Clermont in the Aviva last weekend and is now finally set to return against Connacht at the same venue in the URC tomorrow evening.
“Can’t wait for it, a good Interpro game. I was hoping to maybe get involved last week, but the physio said get another week of training under the belt. When you’re so close and you have the chance of a European game you’re like, ‘I’ll be fine’, but maybe better these decisions are taken out of your hand,” O’Brien remarked earlier this week.
“Definitely my patience has been tested the most in Irish rugby, I reckon. It’s been a rough few years. I get a chance, get a run and I feel like I’m going well and then just get blighted with injuries. Fingers crossed, I’ve got my injury out of the way for the year early and get a good run at it now for the next six months.”
Whereas the majority of the Leinster squad have been getting used to the Aviva being their temporary home while the RDS is being redeveloped, playing in Irish Rugby HQ will be something new for O’Brien in the current season. Nevertheless, the former Blackrock College student has played there before and also has a sense of familiarity with a Connacht side that earned a brace of bonus point victories in the EPCR Challenge Cup over the past fortnight.
“They’re flying. I think they have 10 points in their last two weeks, so I think they will come in high on confidence. They’ve rotated their team the last few weeks, so there will be players coming in fresh and gunning for us,” O’Brien added.
“I’ve played Connacht a few times now, but I think this is my third time playing in the Aviva. It’s not a novelty, but it’s such a cool atmosphere and it’s a cool stadium. I think they’re saying ticket sales are going to be good, coming around to Christmas time and it’s an Interpro. Hopefully we get a good crowd and it will be a quality atmosphere.”