O'Shea returns for the Irish

Conor O'Shea, the London Irish captain and full back who has had his ankle broken twice in the last nine months, is back in training and hopes to be leading the club early in the new season.

Speculation that O'Shea would play a "token 10 minutes" against European Cup specialists Munster in Cork on 21 August has been ruled out by the Irish international.

But O'Shea says: "That would be too early. I intend to be in Cork which we are using as training camp on top of the match with Munster. But I will not start full contact work until September and hope to be back on the match pitch soon after that.

"I have been running for two to three weeks now but only on a straight line so the twisting and turning is still to come. I have been running for 45 minutes without any reaction, and controlled contact will depend on what the physios say."