Ronan O'Gara will have to play for Cork Constitution in their AIB League Division One match against UL Bohemians at Thomond Park on Saturday or risk missing Ireland's Six Nations Championship clash with France at Lansdowne Road the following weekend.
Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan admitted: "It's important that he plays at the weekend because he hasn't had a game in five weeks, since the Celtic League final. He should be good to train with the squad today."
The Irish convened at Citywest for a two-day camp but there was no physical training yesterday, the day confined to a series of team meetings and video analysis amongst other things. The on-field activity begins today and how O'Gara's ankle responds to taking a full part will determine the case for his inclusion in the squad for the France game.
He will not only have to come through the session without a negative reaction but also demonstrate his rehabilitation from the injury inflicted by Neath flanker Brett Sinkinson by lining out with Con in Limerick. The damage has been slow to heal and last week it appeared O'Gara was on the cusp of resuming only for the joint to swell up again.
Having missed both the Scotland and Italy victories O'Gara will be determined to put himself back in the frame for Test duty.
Reggie Corrigan underwent surgery on his right arm so O'Sullivan's main concerns outside of O'Gara are Leinster pair Shane Horgan and Girvan Dempsey.
Horgan tore a thigh muscle against Scotland, a more severe injury than it first appeared, while Dempsey missed the Italian game with a reaction to his long-standing groin injury. "The two of them will take a limited part in training today. We'd like to give them the rest of the week to try and regain fitness," O'Sullivan confirmed.
It seems likely the Irish team management will announce an extended squad next week in order to monitor the injured players over the coming weekend.
Their opponents at Lansdowne Road on Saturday week, France, revealed their squad of 22 for the Six Nations game, confirming the absence of scrumhalf and captain Fabien Galthie. He left the field injured during Les Bleus' record 38-3 win over Scotland in Paris last Sunday with a shoulder problem, confirmed to be a slight dislocation.
Capped 54 times for his country, Galthié, who turns 34 on March 20th, was voted the International Rugby Board's Player of the Year for 2002, and his importance to the national side is encapsulated in coach Bernard Laporte's succinct bouquet: "We are a lot more secure when he's (Galthié) in the side."
Agen's uncapped scrumhalf, Mathieu Barrau, is the only addition to the squad, with the captaincy returning to 29-year-old Toulouse second row Fabien Pelous.
Barrau (25) has been in brilliant form as Agen have swept all before them in the French championship. The likelihood of him linking up with his halfback partner at club level, Francois Gelez, in the national team may be tempered by a spell on the bench initially. Laporte is likely to opt for Biarritz youngster Dimitri Yachvili, who impressed when he came in for Galthie in the Scottish game as the starting scrumhalf.
Yachvili's brilliant vision and execution of a cross-field kick created Aurélien Rougerie's try near the end of the match. He is also an accomplished goalkicker, offering Laporte an option should Gelez struggle with the placed ball.
Barrau has done well to stave off the challenge of Toulouse star Frédéric Michalak in winning a place in the Test squad. Michalak, demoted to the Under-21 side after Barrau's recent displays in the France 'A' squad, is likely to be promoted to the shadow national team.
Winger Ben Cohen, who is nursing a thigh injury, has been left out of the England squad named yesterday to face Italy at Twickenham on March 9th.
FRANCE: Backs - D Yachvili (Biarritz), M Barrau (Agen), G Merceron (Montferrand), F Gelez (Agen), D Traille (Pau), T Castaignède (Saracens), C Poitrenaud (Stade Toulousain), X Garbajosa (Stade Toulousain), V Clerc (Stade Toulousain), A Rougerie (Montferrand). Forwards - JJ Crenca (Agen), S Marconnet (Stade Français), C Califano (Saracens), R Ibanez (Castres), J Baptiste Rué (Agen), F Pelous (Stade Toulousain, capt), O Brouzet (Montferrand), D Auradou (Stade Français), O Magne (Montferrand), S Betsen (Biarritz), S Chabal (Bourgoin), I Harinordoquy (Pau).
ENGLAND: Backs - K Bracken, P Christophers, M Dawson, W Greenwood, C Hodgson, J Lewsey, D Luger, J Noon, J Simpson-Daniel, O Smith, M Tindall, J Wilkinson. Forwards - L Dallaglio, D Grewcock, R Hill, M Johnson (capt), B Kay, R Morris, M Regan, G Rowntree, A Sanderson, S Shaw, S Thompson, J Worsley, M Worsley.
