Second row Paul O’Connell has paid tribute to the Munster staff ahead of his side’s final RaboDirect PRO12 match of the season against Zebre on Friday.

O’Connell has made just three appearances in the RaboDirect PRO12 this season but he has impressed enough in those, along with Munster’s march to the European Cup semi-finals, to be selected on the forthcoming British & Irish Lions tour to Australia.

Not so long ago, the Lions tour was the furthest thing from O’Connell’s mind with a serious back injury laying him low for large parts of the season, ensuring he missed Ireland’s entire Six Nations campaign.

But his form with Munster has earned him his spot and he is one of just four players – along with Casey Laulala, Dave Kilcoyne and Mike Sherry – who will start their final RaboDirect PRO12 match of the season, having also started the European semi against Clermont.

And O’Connell was quick to praise the medical team at Thomond Park following his Lions selection.

“I am delighted to be selected,” O’Connell said.

“I am probably very lucky to be going. A big thanks must go to the medical staff at Munster who got me back.

“I also owe a lot to the boys in the squad for having us still in the Heineken Cup when I came back playing after my injury.”

Munster are on a poor run of form in the RaboDirect PRO12 and have won just one of their last seven matches – against Connacht in March.

They have not won away from home in the competition in 2013, although they prevailed when hosting Italian outfit in round seven, but Zebre will be only too aware it is their last chance at a first win of the season, having come so close on a number of occasions, accruing eight losing bonus points.

Zebre are boosted by the return of leading try-scorer Dries van Schalkwyk while Italy internationals Gonzalo Garcia and Davide Giazzon both start, having missed out last time.

Forwards coach Vincenzo Troiani said: “This is the last official game of a bad season if you only look at our results.

“The coaching staff and I are satisfied by many aspects of this first season: the growth of the squad both in general and in the individual level and the increased quality of our play that has allowed us to be competitive at least in the last months.

“We’re also happy to have helped the growth of many young players during their first year in this competition.

“Thanks to those great weekly challenges I think that many of them are ready to be tested at an international level for Italy's national team.

“This was one of our targets, this is a part of the Zebre rugby mission.”

At Stadio XXV Aprile, 7.45pm local time
Referee: Andrew McMenemy (SRU, 21st competition game)
Assistant Referees: Matteo Liperini, Stefano Roscini (both FIR)
Citing Commissioner: Roberto Carra (FIR)
TMO: Carlo Damasco (FIR)

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