Rugby:As expected, Jonathan Sexton, Rob Kearney and Brian O'Driscoll will be conspicuous by their absence when the Ospreys pitch up at the RDS next Friday as Leinster continue to count the cost of last weekend's Heineken Cup win over Clermont Auvergne.
All three received knocks during that bruising encounter, with Sexton’s broken jaw the most concerning for coach Michael Cheika who rated the outhalf as “touch-and-go” for the semi-final with Toulouse at the start of May.
“We will just see how he pans out. I would say, looking into the extent of the injury first-hand, that it is probably going to be a few weeks,” Cheika explained today. “It’s a little crack in his jaw. He is pretty good really, but it is a pretty obvious injury and he can’t just go out there and say ‘I’ll be alright’, strap it up and away you go.
“I would say it is fairly touch-and-go as to whether he plays in the semi or not. Our first concern is this week’s match but he is definitely out of that one.”
Kearney was stretchered off with an ankle injury after a collision with Aurélien Rougerie and, despite initial reports that he could return to light training this week, Cheika revealed he is also a doubt for the Heineken Cup semi-final.
“Kearney is pretty much the same (as Sexton),” the Australian added. “When you get carried off on a stretcher it isn’t ideal but, again, he will be touch-and-go in that environment and he is definitely out of this week’s match.
“O’Driscoll (knee) is out of this week’s match as well. We are probably a little bit more hopeful on him now, of getting himself right in the next couple of weeks.”
As it stands, Shane Horgan, who played his first match since February against Clermont having recovered from a foot injury, and Gordon D’Arcy could feature against the star-studded Welsh outfit and both are included in an extended 27-man squad named this afternoon.
Both had been considered doubts over the weekend but remain part of Cheika’s plans at this juncture.
“Gordon and Shane were not on the deck today so we really only have Wednesday to give them a run,” said Cheika. “We have included them in the squad because we think that they are more likely to play this weekend than not. CJ (van der Linde) didn’t train today but he should be available this weekend.”
While the Toulouse clash looms large on the horizon, Leinster divert their attention back to the Magners League where they remain in pole position to claim a home play-off semi-final.
The Ospreys, who meet Ulster in a re-arranged fixture tomorrow night, currently lie in fifth place, just one point outside a play-off berth.
“On Friday we have to play a team that should probably be in the (Heineken Cup) semi-finals themselves and they will be hurting from it,” Cheika said of the Ospreys. “Hopefully Ulster can rough them up a little bit tomorrow night and get them as tired as humanly possible for Friday!”
In Munster, both Doug Howlett (hamstring) and Ian Dowling (knee) had scans on their respective injuries this afternoon. The results will not be made public until tomorrow.
Leinster squad:Leo Cullen, John Fogarty, Cian Healy, Jamie Heaslip, Nathan Hines, Bernard Jackman, Shane Jennings, Stephen Keogh, Kevin McLaughlin, Malcolm O'Kelly, Mike Ross, Rhys Ruddock, Richardt Strauss, Devin Toner, CJ van der Linde, Stan Wright. Shaun Berne, Andrew Conway, Gordon D'Arcy, Girvan Dempsey, Shane Horgan, Simon Keogh, Fergus McFadden, Isa Nacewa, Paul O'Donohoe, Eoin O'Malley, Eoin Reddan