Geraint O'Driscoll out for a month (From Free Press Series)

Geraint O'Driscoll out for a month

2:30pm Wednesday 6th January 2010

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PONTYPOOL RFC are without a recognised number 10 for up to six weeks after Geraint O’Driscoll dislocated his shoulder in Saturday’s crushing defeat at Neath.

Managing director Frank Stanton must have wished, like most of the domestic rugby fixtures, the game had not gone ahead. Pooler just about matched their western hosts for the first period but as soon as O’Driscoll – already deputising in at number nine with Sam Mills and Shaun Connor unavailable – limped off, there was only going to be one winner.

Stanton was glad to report the injury had not been as bad as first feared, but he confirmed the kicker would be out for three or four weeks – and possibly six.

He said: "The injury wasn’t as bad as we first expected. I left Morriston Hospital at 8pm on Saturday and doctors told us then that the shoulder had been put back in quite quickly, which minimised the damage.

"Geraint was unable to fly up to Scotland though, as he had intended, and the prognosis even now is that, fingers crossed, he could be back within three or four weeks – six tops."

Stanton continued: "The problem is we haven’t got Sam Mills back yet and Shaun Connor’s availability depends on his Dragons commitments so we could be struggling in those areas."

Pooler are struggling for survival at the bottom of the Welsh Premiership with just one win all season, against rivals Ebbw Vale. More injury woes are all the club needs but Stanton’s saving grace may be the weather, with more snow and freezing temperatures forecast this week.

The trip to Aberavon on Saturday is already in jeopardy with the away Welsh Cup draw at Narbeth seven days later also at risk. Pooler could thus be without a competitive fixture until Llanelli’s visit on January 23, with the Six Nations starting soon after.

Of course, Pooler will not want more midweek postponements but at least a period off will enable the club to lick its wounds and regroup ahead of another relegation dogfight.

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