LEO CULLEN HAS issued a positive update on Ryan Baird after the Leinster flanker was removed on a medical cart following a nasty fall during the province’s 54-34 win against the Sharks.

Baird landed heavily after jumping to claim a high ball and colliding with Sharks players Thaakir Abrahams and Boeta Chamberlain.

There was a lengthy delay as Baird received attention on the pitch before being removed on a stretcher in a medical cart, with the 23-year-old giving the crowd a thumbs up as he made his exit.

“He’s OK, but it was a nasty enough fall,” Cullen said.

“I was chatting to him there, and he’s OK, and we’ll make sure he goes through the graduated return to play [protocols].

“It was a game that had a bit of everything in it. We lost three players for HIAs, but the medics are taking good care of them.”

Referee Craig Evans decided against issuing any cards following the incident – a decision which didn’t go down well with the home crowd. 

“I didn’t listen to the comms on it yet,” Cullen added.

“Anyway, we’ll go through the usual process with the officials. 

“Look, the Sharks, it was sort of a nothing to lose game for them and you could see the way they played, they just flew into everything.

“But I’ll have a look at that incident again a bit closer. There was plenty going on apart from that as well, we were trying to figure out the reshuffle of who was going where, we finished with two hookers there at the end. Lukey [McGrath] went off at half-time, I need to look at that incident again as well, so there was lots of things in the game.

“We’ll have a look back.”

Get instant updates on your province on The42 app. With Laya Healthcare, official health and wellbeing partner to Leinster, Munster and Connacht Rugby.