Munster to appeal O’Connell ban

Munster have risked losing Ireland lock Paul O’Connell for longer than four weeks after deciding to appeal the decision of last week’s ERC hearing.

O’Connell was given the ban for lashing out at the Ospreys’ Jonathan Thomas during the Heineken Cup clash on 12 December, for which he received a red card in his first appearance in the competition this season.

The original ban ruled O’Connell out of Munster’s festive Magners League encounters, but he would have returned in time for the province’s crunch clash with Toulon next month.

Given that O’Connell has had so little game time since returning from a groin injury which put him out of action for nine months, however, Munster are keen that O’Connell could play before the Toulon clash, which is likely to determine Munster’s fate in the Heineken Cup this season.

By appealing the decision, however, Munster run the risk of losing O’Connell for longer than the original four week suspension, which means he could miss both the Toulon game on the weekend 14-16 January and the encounter with London Irish a week later.

Munster must now wait on the ERC to issue a date for the hearing of O’Connell’s appeal.