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BORDEAUX, France - Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan on Saturday (NZ time) defended the decision to play a low-key but highly-destructive World Cup friendly which resulted in a sickening injury suffered by skipper Brian O'Driscoll.
The captain will miss his country's World Cup opener against Namibia on September 9 after being struck in the face in Friday's warmup against French club Bayonne.
The 28-year-old centre, regarded as one of the finest backs in the world, sustained a fracture to his nose and damage to his cheekbone when he was punched during the match which the Irish won 42-6.
"When Bayonne offered us the game, we thought it was a good idea, a good end to a good week's training," said O'Sullivan.
"And I suppose apart from that incident it would have been a very good end. But these things happen, it's unfortunate but we have to move on now, we can't dwell on where we are, we just have to get ready for the World Cup."
O'Driscoll was heading back to Dublin on Saturday to undergo more checks.
"We expect it to be the same result," said the coach.
"We think it will take three to four weeks and hopefully he should be available for the Georgia game (Sept 15)."
Crucially, O'Driscoll should be fit for the two crunch games against France and Argentina.
The top two teams from the group qualify for the quarter-finals of the competition.
O'Driscoll had to leave the field in Bayonne in the 62nd minute of what had been a bruising game when he was hit in the face by New Zealand lock Mikarea Tewhata during a general melee among players.
O'Sullivan said that the match had been extremely tough and physical with numerous off-the-ball incidents.
"I don't mind physicality, but it was more than physical," he said. "There were some cheap shots, that's the pity, but that's the way they want to play it. We can't control that, we can only play our game."
Irish team officials said they did not intend to take the matter any further but said they would welcome an inquiry by the French Rugby Federation (FFR).
The FFR president Bernard Lapasset said he and his disciplinary commission would study the referee's report on the game before deciding what action if any to take.
"We will deal with it quickly as I want to sort this matter out as rapidly as possible," he added.
O'Driscoll's injury comes hard on the heels of the knee injury sustained by first-choice winger Shane Horgan during the warm-up to Saturday's game against Scotland in Edinburgh.
- AFP
