LEINSTER HAVE CONFIRMED that Ireland trio Jack Conan, Jimmy O’Brien and Jordan Larmour will be available for selection for Friday’s URC meeting with Ulster, while hookers Lee Barron and John McKee have also returned from injury for the upcoming interpro at Kingspan Stadium.
All five players have returned to full training this week after recent injuries.
Back row Conan suffered a hamstring injury and was withdrawn after 19 minutes during the eastern province’s URC Round 4 victory over Munster at Croke Park.
Back-three option O’Brien has also recovered from a hamstring injury, his arising in the first half of Leinster’s Round 3 victory at Benetton.
O’Brien’s fellow outside back Larmour missed that Benetton meeting with what Leinster described as a “precaution” over an unspecified injury. The 27-year-old has been out of action since, but is fit to feature in Belfast this Friday night.
The returns of hookers Barron and McKee are timely, too, with Rónan Kelleher and Gus McCarthy remaining on Ireland duty and Dan Sheehan a longer-term absentee.
Barron went off at half-time of Leinster’s victory over Munster with an ankle issue, while McKee has missed most of the season with an unspecified injury but built his way back to match fitness by starting both of Leinster’s ‘A’ Interpro Championship victories this month against Connacht and Munster respectively.
Leinster also confirmed that there are no further updates on Dan Sheehan, Rob Russell, Paddy McCarthy or Tommy O’Brien this week.
Great news
The big tell will be the players released back to their provinces tomorrow!
@Paul Ennis: Whats your side for saturday im going porter kells beales ryan beirne izzy jvf dorris jp crowley lowe aki ringrose hansen kennan
@Shanie: Subs healy mac o toole joe mac ringrose o mahony casey pendercast
@Shanie: 2 ringrose?
@Teddy O neill: Ah ok lol am ringrose start henshaw sub are other way around all 3 are fantastic
@Shanie: There are 2 teams for me – the one I would like and the one I think. Think first – Porter, Kelleher, Bealham, Beirne, McCarthy, POM, Josh, Doris, JGP, Crowley, Lowe, Aki, Ringrose, Hansen, Keenan. The like – Porter, Gus, Bealham, Beirne, McCarthy, Izzy, Josh, Doris, JGP, Crowley, Lowe, Aki, Ringrose, Hansen, Keenan
@Shanie: he’s not going to go with a light impact bench again. I have a feeling it will be 6 -2 with frawley and casey
@Paul Ennis: Crowley being released back to Munster ??!!! :)
@Shanie: I think Henshaw and Aki played really well and they could be starting with Frawley on the bench. Could see Sam P or Crowley on the bench/ starting. There’s no reason these three cannot all play. Frawley provides coverage 12-15. With possibly Casey on the bench for a 5:3 split. Murray played well on the wing so possibly no Casey if needed to cover more positions.
Some of the leinster players are like some people you see in council estates that don’t want to move too far away from mammy,
@Treaty Jim: and Limerick people know plenty about council estates.
Leinster have some embarrassment of riches at hooker. Looking forward to seeing Gus down in Munster next season though.
@Kenjo:
@Kenjo: Going nowhere
@Kenjo: I see u in the carpark
@Raymond Darcy: 1st rule of fight club – No NIQ front row players allowed
@Max: in fairness he should go (I’m not a Munster fan). Need young players playing and competing for senior international places
@Raymond Darcy: lol
@aidan prior: he has just started at lenister dear god give him a break
@Max: Agree he has just started with leinster
@Shanie: With McCarthy, Kelleher and Sheahan fit only 2 can get regular game time. Given Munster’s lack of real quality at 2 it would make sense from an Irish point of view for one of the 3 to move there.
@Shanie: it’s not about ‘giving him a break’. Munster are struggling for players in the front row, and Leinster have 3 possibly 4 international quality hookers whom can’t play every week. Let him or Barron go so they can get the experience to match the ability. I don’t agree that if you come through the Leinster schools (far more players and more developed than the other 3 provinces) should have to commit to Leinster. Look of the likes of Penny and Deegan both of them stayed and waited for opportunities but when the big games came they’ve never really been considered. Had they gone to another province ie like Prendergast and Timoney they may have a fair few caps at this point.
@Kenjo: What do you think should be done with Munster’s four senior hookers and their own two Academy hookers?
@TL55: I think it will be a while before McCarthy picks up more international caps. There were at least 6 hookers injuried to get this call up, not sure where he is in the international pecking order maybe 4th, at Leinster it makes no sense letting him go, but if hes jumped past Barron and/or McKee one of them moving would make sense
@TL55: Sheehan has done his ACL fact is a hell of a lot of players don’t recover from that.
Kelleher can’t stay fit for more than 3 weeks at a time.
More than enough game time to go around for McCarthy (an academy player)
@TL55: send him to Connacht instead, we’ll happily take him. Don’t know why Munster should get first dibs.
@Patrick Breen: Because they’re the noisy, spoilt child of Irish rugby?
@TL55: Ya im sure he will still plenty game time with lenister injures and all im sure last thing on his mind right now is leaving
@aidan prior: If in a year he has no game time then mayby but not right now
@teuO6nLS: That’s not really a fact though is it? It’s not 1981.
Is it possible that Snyman and Barret(if fit) could be available v Ulster?
@Tom Byrne: would imagine both would be earmarked for the start of the bristol game if both fit , so a weeks break between November internationals and CC.
@Stuart: probably right about that. The guys playing against Aus will get no break at all!