Sean O’Brien to have surgery – Rugby News Update
Sean O’Brien, the 25-year-old Leinster and Ireland back-row is set to undergo a surgery on his hips, and it is likely that he will be out for 4 months.
O’Brien started every game for his country in the recently concluded tour of New Zealand, where the tourists were outclassed by the formidable All Blacks. They lost the third and final test by a dismal 60 – 0 score, only running the Kiwis close in the 2nd
match.
The hip surgery means that the back-row will miss the autumn internationals, plus the initial two months of the Heineken Cup, when his club Leinster start defending the title. He was an important member of the side that won back-to-back European titles,
and reached the final of the RaboDirect PRO12, only to come out second best.
Irish team manager, Mick Kearne, could not give a definitive date on his return but did confirm that the back-row will be out for a few months.
"He is going having some keyhole surgery on his hip to repair some cartilage damage," Kearney told the Irish Examiner. "Surgery is imminent, it's going to happen within the next week or so and the recovery period for this type of operation is 13 to 15 weeks.
It means it could be up to four months.”
"Obviously it's going to make him doubtful for the November series."
Ireland is scheduled to play South Africa on November 10 at Lansdowne, and Argentina play on that ground against Ireland on November 24.
O’Brien is a powerful, aggressive and ball carrying back-row who won an academy contract with Leinster in 2005-06. He made an immediate impact, and after impressing for Ireland A, he earned his full international debut against Fiji at Dublin, on November
21, 2009, and made his first start for country against Samoa a year later.
So far he has played 22 games for Ireland, starting 19 and coming on as a substitute a further 3 times. Since his debut he has been a regular for the Irish, playing at the 2011 Rugby World Cup, and starting four of his country’s game at the 2012 Six Nations
Grand Slam.
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