LEINSTER LOOK SET to be boosted by the return of back row pair Josh van der Flier and Ryan Baird for this Saturday’s Champions Cup semi-final against Toulouse at the Aviva Stadium.
Van der Flier has been sidelined since the round of 16 win over Ulster four weekends ago, while Baird was forced off injured in the quarter-final victory against Leicester a week later.
But it appears that van der Flier will overcome his ankle injury and Baird will recover from his shoulder issue to be available for this weekend’s clash with Toulouse.
There is also good news with the return of centre Charlie Ngatai, who is back in the selection mix after being sidelined since January with a hamstring injury and offers Cullen another option in the number 23 shirt.
“They all look good, so they’re all in the mix now which is pleasing for us,” said Leinster head coach Leo Cullen yesterday. “It’s great.”
However, Leinster will definitely be without influential wing James Lowe, whose left-footed kicking and power in contact could be missed as the Irish province go up against the Top 14 side.
It seems Lowe may have been injured during a try celebration in Leinster’s win over Leicester.
“That’s what it looked like to me, it was a freakish sort of injury,” said Cullen.
The Leinster boss agreed that it’s a blow for Leinster ahead of the Toulouse clash, but he was keen to stress that Jordan Larmour has been in good form.
Larmour missed out on Leinster’s matchday 23 for the Leicester game but has already started three times in this season’s Champions Cup. He now looks set to come in on the right wing as Jimmy O’Brien moves to the left.
“It is, but we’re lucky to have some great guys there as well,” said Cullen when asked about the blow of losing Lowe.
“Jordan was incredibly unlucky to miss out the last day. Jordan was excellent when James was back in New Zealand for Rounds 3 and 4 of those pool stages.
“So someone like that comes back into the selection mix, which is good, but there’s some other good guys there that can do a job for us.
“We’re lucky, we’ve used plenty of players and some guys are coming back in at the right stage of the season which is what you want. It’s that competition piece and fresh energy.”
