15 months, 10 Tests, and three different men in the No.7 jersey - Sean O'Brien has been on the outside, looking in, for too long
The Leinster back-row will end a frustrating period this evening
when he starts for Ireland Wolfhounds against Saxons at Musgrave Park. O'Brien dislocated his shoulder in December 2013 and, though he returned at the tail-end of last season, was sent for corrective surgery on the same shoulder in September 2014.
He missed out on last year's Six Nations triumph, a successful tour to Argentina and the Guinness Series clean sweep over South Africa, Georgia and Australia. During that period, Chris Henry, Tommy O'Donnell and Rhys Ruddock have all filled in at openside.
O'Brien told us, 'The lads did an unbelievable job and are all ahead of me in the pecking order. It's up to me to fight to win my jersey back. I have to prove to the coaching staff that I can still do the job. We have such depth in the back row. You need to have that competition for your position so you can drive on.'
'In the heel of the hunt'
The Carlow native admits he is glad to see the back of his injury worries. His left shoulder picked up an infection during a prolonged recovery period and left it in as weakened state. O'Brien flew out to Manchester, last September, to get it sorted. He made a training return in December and took his first contact in early January.
He says, 'I took my first hits, on the pads, three weeks back. It was a bit more intense the following week and we ramped it up the week after. Having been out for so long I was looking to make a statement in training. It's great when you get your first hit-out or make a big carry. It gives you more confidence. The shoulder really held up well and there were no set-backs.'
O'Brien believes he remained upbeat for most of his time in injury re-hab, he admits there were moments he was 'grumpy and stubborn'. He was disappointed to miss out on the Six Nations but pleased his team-mates closed out the championship in Paris. 'It was frustrating,' he adds, 'watching from the sidelines for so long, but no I'm back in the heel of the hunt, I couldn't be happier.'
His partner in rehabilitation was often Leinster colleague Cian Healy, who he credits for keeping him motivated, and in good spirits, during sessions with strength and conditioning staff. 'I'm in Ireland camp with Cian now so there's no getting rid of him,' O'Brien jokes. 'He has been working so hard in his comeback. He's in great shape and it won't be long now.'
O'Brien does not have to look beyond the Ireland captain, Paul O'Connell, for inspiration when it comes to returning to top form after a lengthy injury lay-off. The Munster lock faced a career-threatening back injury in 2012 but returned to star for province, country and the Lions, the following year.
O'Brien says, 'Paulie is the type of player that you look up to, listen to and learn a lot from. Everybody in the squad respects him for the legend he is. He has such a positive manner about him and is still playing at the highest level... even though he's an old man.'
If O'Brien can hit, and possibly surpass, his markers this weekend, he could be in line to start alongside O'Connell for the first time since the New Zealand clash in November 2013. 'We can't look beyond that Italy game as it will be an extremely tough start. It's always a cracker, going over there to play them, their team is getting stronger and they'll throw everything into the first game of the championship.'
*O’Brien teamed up with Guinness, partner of Irish Rugby and Six Nations, to announce 'extraordinary rugby experiences' for rugby fans, available through the Guinness Plus App. Fans who check-in to the pub from now up until the March 22 will be in with a chance to 'Follow in the Team’s Footsteps' by winning a VIP trip for them and two friends to Ireland’s away games against Wales and England this summer. The app (for over 18's) is available to download for iPhone and Android Smartphones from the iTunes App and Google Play Stores. 
