Magners League round-up:Neither Brian O'Driscoll or Luke Fitzgerald have been ruled out of Leinster's Magners League visit to the Sportsground to face Connacht on Saturday, while captain Leo Cullen is fit and available for selection.
The Ireland backs are both carrying injuries. Fitzgerald is due to resume training on Thursdya after picking up a knock in the Heineken Cup win over Saracens on Saturday, while O’Driscoll is “progressing well” after straining a hamstring the week before against Racing Metro.
Fitzgerald filled in for O’Driscoll at outside centre in the win at Wembley last weekend.
Cullen made his first appearance of the season against Sarries, when introduced in the second half, and has shown no ill-effects. Outhalf Jonathan Sexton, who scored all 25 points against Saracens, also emerged unscathed from the game, having struggled this season with a quad injury, but Ed O’Donoghue (knee) faces at least another week out.
While satisfied with two Heineken Cup wins in a week prop Cian Healy still believes there’s work to do ahead of a trip to a ground where they have lost their last two visits.
“I thought we could have won bigger,” said Healy of the Saracens game, “but we were delighted to get the win and hopefully it’s onwards and upwards with that and we can get steadier form on the road and get our winning pattern together.
“Confidence in the squad is good but there are a few small parts that we need to nail down this week.A few basics have been letting us down, but we’ll work harder on them and hopefully try to build on last weekend.”
Connacht are “an improving team", he says, a fact highlighted by their position in the table, from where they look down one place to Leinster in eighth. "Over the last couple of years the Leinster game was one of their targets and they probably saw it as a good opportunity to get one over us. There will be stiff opposition from them (on Saturday) and the Sportsground is a tough place to go.
“But a few of the Leinster boys will be going out there with a real point to prove that it’s not just big day occasions that we play for. We have had three big games lately and this is one where we can easily let the foot off the gas if we don’t come out with all guns firing.”
Connacht's promising tighthead prop Jamie Hagan looks set to be fit for the game. The 23-year old limped off with an ankle injury in the 16-13 win over Bayonne on Friday night but, despite fears he might be out for some time, coach Eric Elwood is confident he'll be available.
Ulster, who face Edinburgh in Murrayfield on Friday, have confirmed centre Darren Cave, backrow Robbie Diack and prop Declan Fitzpatrick have all agreed new contracts with the club.
The news will see Cave remain at Ravenhill until at least June 2013, with Fitzpatrick and Diack signed up until June 2014. The latter will be eligible to play for Ireland come July.
Munster'sJerry Flannery, like Leinster's Fitzgerald, was left out of Declan Kidney's squad for the autumn internationals this morning and a clear prognosis on his fitness was unavailable today.
Flannery made his first appearance of the season against Toulon on Saturday
but suffered a recurrence of his troublesome calf problem and travelled to Cork today to have it assessed.
Team manager Shaun Payne said today they would know more by the end of the week and dismissed suggestions the hooker was brought back from injury too early.
However, both Tomás O’Leary and Paul O’Connell are recovering well from knocks and Munster could conceivably name an unchanged side for the visit of Benetton Treviso to Thomond Park.
Munster Squad (v Treviso):Wian Du Preez, Marcus Horan, Mike Sherry, Damien Varley, John Hayes, Darragh Hurley, Tony Buckley, Dave Ryan, Billy Holland, Donnacha Ryan, Donncha O'Callaghan, Mick O'Driscoll, Alan Quinlan, David Wallace, Niall Ronan, Denis Leamy, Peter O'Mahony, James Coughlan, Duncan Williams, Peter Stringer, Ronan O'Gara, Scott Deasy, Paul Warwick, Keith Earls, Johne Murphy, Doug Howlett, Denis Hurley, Ivan Dineen.