Paul O Connell Received Red Card Ten Minutes Into Comeback

It was only a semi-happy moment for Munster's coach Tony McGahan, who took his team to victory on Sunday, when Paul O'Connell started his European Comeback with a red card just ten minutes into the game. He apparently hit Jonathan Thomas with his right arm, and Thomas ended up crashing on the ground. At first, the referee, Christophe Berdos, did not see the contact happen, but was informed by his assistant David Rose, deciding afterward that a red card was warranted for Paul O'Connell.

After the match, McGahen said that he had not spoken yet to his captain, and was letting him cool off. This moment is certainly a milestone in Munster's season, and McGahen said that his own thoughts were that he was initially shocked, but that they must get on with it. He said that at first he was hoping that he had seen wrong, but what they saw was essentially the same as what everyone else did, which was the reaction to Thomas holding the jersey. He said that his look was brief and that they hadn't studied it in depth enough to yet comment.

Jonathan Humphreys, forwards coach for the Ospreys said that Paul O Connell was not a “dirty player” and that nearly the same thing had happened to Gavin Henson for which he got 12 weeks. In the game, the Ospreys led after a penalty by Dan Biggar and a long range intercept from Tommy Bowe, leading by 13-8 just after the second half started. The red card for O'Connell was the only problem for the team, who overturned the 13-8 with converted tries from both Johne Murphy and David Wallace and Doug Howlett scored the first-half try.