Rugby:Clermont Auvergne will be without Napolioni Nalaga when they take on Leinster in the Heineken Cup quarter-finals this weekend. The giant Fijian winger was a glaring omission when Vern Cotter named his matchday squad this afternoon.
Nalaga shipped a knock to his knee during Clermont’s defeat at Stade Francais last weekend and, following a training session behind closed doors earlier today, was deemed unfit for the journey to Dublin.
Also conspicuous by their absence on Cotter’s teamsheet, which will be finalised later in the week, were Benoit Baby and Seremaia Bai although the Kiwi was able to include Marius Joubert. The South African centre had been expected to miss out through injury.
As expected, Brock James and Jamie Cudmore are also in the 23-man travelling party for Friday’s match at the RDS (8pm). James, the metronomic Australian outhalf, and Canadian second row Cudmore missed the loss in Paris but will travel and should start against Michael Cheika’s side.
In the Amlin Challenge Cup, Connacht captain John Muldoon will be fit for the province’s quarter-final with Bourgoin this weekend. The back row had been struggling with a groin strain be came through a fitness test this morning.
Connacht coach Michael Bradley will also have Robbie Morris, Niva Ta’auso, George Naoupu and Keith Matthews available after they also shrugged off injury concerns.
But Ray Ofisa and Liam Bibo remain on the injured list and are considered doubts for Saturday’s match at the Sportsground (1pm).
“It is a great boost. We were hopeful that they would make it but there was always a doubt, especially as some of the lads had missed a couple of games,” said coach Michael Bradley.
“We can now concentrate on the game itself. The availability of the lads presents its own selection dilemma but that is a great position for us to be in.”
Clermont squad:Alexandre Audebert, Julien Bonnaire, Benoît Cabello, Jamie Cudmore, Vincent Debaty, Thomas Domingo, Alexandre Lapandry, Mario Ledesma, Thibaut Privat, Julien Pierre, Clément Ric, Elvis Vermeulen, Davit Zirakashvili. Gonzalo Canale, Anthony Floch, Wesley Fofana, Brock James, Marius Joubert, Julien Malzieu, Morgan Parra, Aurélien Rougerie, Kevin Senio, Gavin Williams.