Irish Rugby
Munster count the cost of Ulster clash
Scrum.com
January 5, 2009
Munster's Ronan O'Gara in action during the Heineken Cup Pool One clash with ASM Clermont Auvergne and Munster at the Stade Marcel Michelin in Clermont-Ferrand,France on December 7 ,2008.
O'Gara is set to be declared fit in time for the resumption of Munster's Heineken Cup campaign © Getty Images
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Munster face an anxious wait to find out whether fly-half Ronan O'Gara will be fit for their crucial Heineken Cup clash with Sale later this month.

The Irish province play host to their Pool 1 rivals at Thomond Park on Janaury 16 and may be without their international No.10 after he suffered a hamstring injury in the crushing 37-11 Magners League loss to Ulster on Saturday night.

In a further blow to coach Tony McGahan, centre Rua Tipoki has already been ruled out of the game after also picking up a hamstring injury in the same game but skipper Paul O'Connell, who has had a knee injury and hasn't seen action since mid-December, may return to action this weekend.

Despite initial fears, further assessment of O'Gara's injury revealed that the injury was not as bad as first thought and he remains in contention for the showdown with the Sharks. As a result O'Gara is almost certainly set to be rested for the league clash with the Ospreys this coming weekend to maximise his chances of making the clash with Sale and the final pool match against Mountaban a week later.

"The badly needed good news is that Ronan O'Gara's hamstring injury is not as serious as first thought," revealed a statement from Munster. "Although doubtful for the trip to Wales he is expected to be fit in time for the visit of Sale Sharks."

Meanwhile, Tipoki is set to be sidelined for a month after suffering in what was his comeback game from a knee injury suffered against the All Blacks in November. Flanker James Coughlan was another casualty of the defeat by Ulster and has also been ruled out for a month with a shoulder problem.

McGahan has been criticised for his selection policy this season but insists there are extenuating circumstances including the guidelines governing the national squad.

"We are in a unique situation," McGahan told the Irish Examiner. "We have a lot of players who are involved all year round, through the autumn internationals, through the Six Nations, and to manage them all the way through from week zero is a real juggling act.

"We are working closely with thenational management to make sure that the players are filtered through the whole season and there to play autumninternationals, Heineken Cup, Magners League and the Six Nations. We have an obligation to the players to make sure they can play for the whole season. It is no good getting through to February and then being busted for the rest of the year."

Reflecting on Munster's thrashing by Ulster, he added, "When you get behind in a game such as that when you really haven't done anything that bad and you are down 22-6, there is a tendency to chase the game. It is a hard mental place to get out of. You haven't been doing anything that wrong, but you still find yourself behind on the scoreboard.

"When things are running your way you tend to get all the bounces of the ball and the calls. When you are not playing that well, you don't tend to get them. We haven't become a bad side overnight. We haven't become bad passers or tacklers overnight. This week gives us an opportunity to get back on track. Once we analyse the game in a better frame of mind, we will make the decisions accordingly."

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