Rugby: Perhaps now we will have some television footage of Brian O'Driscoll in action that is more contemporary than the overworn image of that tackle into the Christchurch earth. The Irish centre, after a week of whispers and training ground rumours, finally put flesh to the hopes of Leinster coach Michael Cheika and Ireland's Eddie O'Sullivan that his first full match will be next weekend in the RDS against Munster.

That date, though, the player cannot confirm, as he continues his cautious road back to full recovery. Last night he put in half an hour. It will be another week of maybes.

"I don't know. I don't know. I haven't thought about it," said O'Driscoll about the prospect of beginning the game against Munster next weekend.

"Today was about getting some pitch time and I managed to get about half an hour, probably a little more than I expected. We'll assess it tomorrow and see how it feels, then make a judgment later on in the week."

For 30 minutes last night in the crowded, all-ticket Celtic League meeting with Ulster at Ravenhill Road, O'Driscoll made his first entrance to a competitive match since June's disjointing tackle. On 51 minutes, along side Eric Miller, the Ireland and Lions captain took his first steps into a competitive match since the June controversy. That Leinster won 24-19 was a personal bonus, but caution continues to pervade his words.

"It's probably a confidence thing," he added. "The shoulder can get a little bit tired if I'm not careful, and that's where I have to be a little bit wary, in that injury might creep in. Just have to be smart with it. You don't go away from the game for six months and feel in the full of your health coming back, perfectly match fit. It's about being smart and playing your way back into the game."

It was a tough game in which to make your return: off the bench on a cold Belfast night is not ideal. But the crowd were warm, and probably knew that a bit of pitch time yesterday for Leinster as they earned a tough win against the home side was essential.

But the crowd had been primed for the return of the Ireland and Lions player, and his introduction, to the background of Noddy Holder and Slade's festive singalong Merry Christmas Everybody, drew a round of vigerous applause even before the match had begun.

When he did make his first tackle, it could not have been against a more solid opponent: Kevin Maggs.

"Yeah, it was the left shoulder thankfully," said O'Driscoll. "It was nice to get back into it and feel like it is to play tough interprovincial rugby again. I knew it was going to be 10 minutes (after the break) before getting on, so I made sure I wouldn't pull anything before hand, made sure I was best prepared to play as well as I could for the half hour."

When Leinster scored their second try, the most potent backline player in the country was at the other side of the pitch. It didn't phase him.

"I didn't see it. That's how far away I was," he said smiling. "It's a team game. Wherever I was I might have drawn the attention of someone else, created a little bit of space, and if that was the case then fantastic. The boys are in great form Darce (D'Arcy) and Girv (Dempsey) are playing fantastic rugby and it's great that they are the ones to get on the score sheet today."

Much as everyone's mind is now focusing on the Six Nations championship and Ireland's prospect with the captain in harness, for O'Driscoll it remains progress by degrees only.

"I don't know (about the Six Nations). I'll know by playing games. We've four or five games between now and then. It's about getting playing. It's about pitch-time and trying to get the sharpness back as much as the fitness.

"I felt good (afterwards). I was blowing a little bit at the end and when they were on the counterattack. That's only to be expected. I did some good things and one or two not so good things. It's pretty much my normal game I guess."