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Injury Update

Dan Leavy ruled out of World Cup with 'complex knee ligament injury'

The flanker sustained the injury against Ulster on Saturday.

DAN LEAVY HAS been ruled out of the rest of the season and the Rugby World Cup later this year after suffering a ‘complex knee ligament injury’ during Leinster’s Heineken Champions Cup quarter-final win over Ulster on Saturday.

The Ireland flanker had an initial scan yesterday but Leinster have today confirmed he requires further assessment on the injury, which will see him miss the global tournament in Japan in September.

Leavy sustained the injury in the 60th minute of Saturday’s inter-pro at the Aviva Stadium, shortly after coming on for Sean O’Brien. 

Dan Leavy leaves the field injured Leavy is carted off on Saturday evening. Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

It is a horribly cruel blow for Leavy, who is only just back from a four-month layoff with a calf problem, and the 24-year-old will now enter a lengthy rehabilitation period as he looks to bounce back from this latest setback.

Leavy’s importance to Ireland was reiterated during his absence in the recent Six Nations, and with Josh van der Flier already ruled out for the rest of the season, there will be real concern for Joe Schmidt heading towards the World Cup.

“It’s a big loss for Leinster rugby and Irish rugby not to have him on the field, especially after he worked so hard to get back from his other recent injury,” Leinster scrum coach John Fogarty said. 

As for Leinster, their openside resources have suddenly taken a hit ahead of the Champions Cup and Pro14 run-in, with Leo Cullen left to deal with the loss of Leavy and Van der Flier in the space of two weeks.

Sean O’Brien, Max Deegan and 19-year-old Scott Penny are the options at seven for Cullen heading into Leinster’s Pro14 clash with Benetton this weekend, while the World Cup door may now have opened for Jordi Murphy of Ulster and Munster’s Jack O’Donoghue.  

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