Irish O'Brien to miss Bok Test
Sean O'Brien will miss Ireland's November internationals and possibly the Six Nations as well, after being ruled out for up to six months with a shoulder problem.
Leinster coach Matt O'Connor said the 27-year-old back row would undergo an operation in London on Friday.
British and Irish Lions flank O'Brien has suffered an infection in the same shoulder he had reconstructed after Ireland's dramatic 22-24 defeat by World Cup champions New Zealand in Dublin last November.
One small consolation for O'Brien is that, if the surgery is successful on this occasion, he should be fit in time for next year's World Cup in England.
O'Brien returned to action for Dublin-based Leinster in their Pro12 match with Glasgow at the start of September, only to suffer an ankle injury.
That proved not as bad as first feared but, unfortunately for O'Brien, Leinster's medical staff discovered he had not made a full recovery from his previous shoulder operation.
"There was a little bit of a complication with the previous surgery due to the infection," said O'Connor.
"So they're going to have to redo that reconstruction, which is a five- to six-month time frame.
"It's a nightmare. He's incredibly frustrated."
Six Nations champions Ireland face South Africa, Georgia and Australia in November.
Ulster's Chris Henry looks set to continue in the back row after coming in for O'Brien last season.
Source: AFP
