Paul O’Connell reveals the agonising pain of hamstring injury and could miss first season in Toulon

It already seems like an eternity ago that Paul O'Connell was stretchered off the Millennium Stadium pitch.

In reality, it's been just three weeks since the legendary lock played his last game in an Ireland jersey after horrifically tearing his hamstring against France. The injury ruled him out of the remainder of the Rugby World Cup and left his future with Toulon up in the air. O'Connell has revealed that the injury, when his hamstring was reported to have torn off the bone, was the most painful injury he ever experienced in his lengthy career. We didn't know when to expect the former Munster man's Toulon debut after O'Connell signed a two-year contract with the reigning European Champions Cup holders in the summer. Speaking on Monday morning, O'Connell admitted he may end up missing the entire first year of that deal, with him potentially being sidelined for eight months. https://twitter.com/noriordan/status/661143700546977793 https://twitter.com/mikescully1/status/661143678321340416 https://twitter.com/mikescully1/status/661146962608201728 https://twitter.com/TPeavoy/status/661152090111287296 https://twitter.com/TPeavoy/status/661152386333990912 https://twitter.com/TPeavoy/status/661152781261275136