WHILE HE WAS understandably disappointed to see one of his squad having to go off so early in the game, Leo Cullen was pleased to see another Leinster player seizing his opportunity in Ireland’s win over England at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday.

After James Lowe was forced off with a groin injury just 18 minutes into a Six Nations third-round clash against the English, his provincial colleague Tommy O’Brien took his spot in the back-three alongside Jamie Osborne and Robert Baloucoune.

It could have been a daunting task for a man who was left out of the match day 23 for the previous weekend’s encounter with Italy – on the back of an under-par performance in an opening round defeat away to France – but O’Brien played his part in a record-breaking 42-21 victory for Ireland in the London venue.

The former Blackrock College student’s pace was on full display when he got through for a 29th-minute try. But there is another element of his game that Leinster head coach Cullen felt O’Brien had drastically improved on from his previous appearance against France.

“Some of the aerial things he did in the game [were impressive], and that’s contrasting to the France game. It’s such a big part of the game, but Tommy was outstanding when he came on at the weekend,” Cullen said.

“Some of the speed that he showed for his try and some of the other work that he did in the game, it’s great to see. That’s what you want; we’d love to see all our guys at the top end of the game perform at that type of level. It was great.

“James’ misfortune is Tommy’s opportunity. That’s the thing for players, it’s being ready for that opportunity. If you haven’t played well or if you missed out in selection, that’s the best way to respond. When you get your opportunity, it’s making sure you take it with both hands.”

Although Cullen continues to operate without the vast majority of his international contingent, Harry Byrne has been released from the Ireland squad with a view to him being involved for Leinster in their United Rugby Championship encounter with Cardiff on Friday evening at Cardiff Arms Park.

Additionally, Cullen and his fellow provincial coaches have also been bolstered by the return to fitness of Robbie Henshaw, Jimmy O’Brien and Rabah Slimani.

Considering both players featured for Ireland as recently as the Quilter Nations Series in November, Henshaw and O’Brien will be hoping to get themselves back in international contention with strong performances against Cardiff.

Whether they can return to the Irish reckoning before this year’s Six Nations Championship ends remains to be seen, but Cullen is glad to have players at his disposal who are eager to show their worth.

“That’s what you want. Ireland have plenty of positive headaches off the back of the weekend. Guys really put their hands up, so anyone coming back into form, so to speak, is going to have to play well to get back in the mix there.

“Which is what every team and coach wants, basically. That positive competition for places. Hopefully, the lads come through the weekend. They’ll feature in some capacity at the weekend.”

Unlike Henshaw and O’Brien, Hugo Keenan and Ryan Baird will be marked absent for Leinster’s visit to Cardiff on Friday.

Already sidelined for several months after undergoing hip surgery in the wake of last summer’s British & Irish Lions Tour in Australia, Keenan suffered an additional setback when he fractured his thumb in Ireland’s pre-tournament training camp in Portugal ahead of the Six Nations Championship.

All this has meant he is yet to see any competitive fare in 2025-26. But his return to action for province (and potentially country) doesn’t appear far away, with the reliable full-back pictured at Leinster training yesterday.

While Baird has played a combined seven times in the present campaign for either Leinster or Ireland, he has been sidelined since fracturing his tibia in the latter’s reversal to South Africa at the Aviva Stadium on 22 November.

There were some fears that Baird may not play again this term, but the towering second-row/back-row hybrid also took some part in training on Monday, and Cullen expects him to return between now and the end of the club season.

“Hugo is closer than Ryan. Ryan is probably a few more weeks away. He’ll be back towards the tail end of the season. Which is always nice, to have that feeling. It’s like having a new player coming into the group at the tail end of the season,” Cullen added.

“Hugo, I think he’s hoping to do a bit of training next week. He may go back into camp, I would suggest next week, and he’ll be getting close. It’s just how he manages with his actual thumb, so it’s more awkward than anything. Hopefully, he doesn’t get another bang on it, but he’s looking good.”