Munster lock Paul O'Connell has handed his side a huge boost by revealing that it is "possible" he will be fit to face Harlequins next month.

Munster face the English champions in the quarter-final of the Heineken Cup on April 7, but it had been feared that they would be without the former Lions skipper.

"I felt very sluggish at the start, but in the second half I got going. There were a lot of scrums and line-outs and those things really do test the back - it was great from that point of view," O'Connell told reporters at a press conference.

"I know Donnacha Ryan is carrying a few injuries, so he might need a bit of time off. Hopefully, I can get in there and get some game time.

"There are three weeks to go until the Harlequins match and it's possible to make it. If we were closer to that game, it's not something we'd be doing because you'd be draining the energy. But this is the time to do it and I'll have plenty of time to recover."

O'Connell had been out of action for four months with a lower back injury, but launched his comeback last week.