Gary Longwell's hamstring strain remains a bigger concern for the Irish management than David Humphreys' bruised bicep following Saturday's hard-earned win over France, although both will be assessed during the Irish squad's two-day training camp in City West tomorrow and Thursday, along with the injured absentees from last week, Girvan Dempsey and Shane Horgan.
Longwell is pretty confident he will recover in time for the game against Wales in Cardiff on Saturday week.
"I've got time on my side but I do have a hamstring injury, and that's causing me more problems than the bruised ribs."
Although Horgan was withdrawn earlier last week than Dempsey, who suffered a recurrence of his nagging groin problems after training on Thursday and was only withdrawn the morning before the match, the latter's injury still looks more problematic.
In any event, the quartet have all been included in an enlarged squad of 35 for the two-day camp. The squad is also notable for the return from injury of long-term absentees Emmet Byrne and Paul O'Connell.
Each had been in attendance in City West for recent Irish get-togethers, but ostensibly under the supervision of fitness director Mike McGurn. This time, however, they have been formally named in the squad, which suggests they have fully recovered from their calf and thumb operations respectively.
With David Quinlan and James Topping not named this week, the squad also sees the return from injury of Justin Bishop and Tyrone Howe; the latter has been sidelined since tearing his hamstring in Ulster's European Cup win over Cardiff last October.
With the momentum behind the Irish team intensifying by the week, Leinster have perhaps begun to derive some of the spin-offs of that as well as their own pre-Championship successes, judging by the interest in their European Cup quarter-final at home to Biarritz on Saturday, April 12th.
The decision to move that game from Leinster's customary home venue at Donnybrook to Lansdowne Road has been more than justified in terms of ticket sales, and the Leinster chief executive, Mick Dawson, yesterday announced they have opened the North Terrace of Lansdowne Road.
Commenting on the ticket sales, Dawson said: "We will surpass the previous Heineken Cup quarter-final attendance (37,000 in 1999 - Toulouse/Montferrand) and exceed 40,000 spectators. This is a great tribute to both Leinster and Irish rugby.
"The total capacity of Lansdowne Road is almost 48,900 and our aim is to make the quarter-final a special event. Coach Matt Williams and all of the team expect a 'sea of blue', and we can report a big demand for Leinster replicas."
Stand tickets are €30; touchline seats €20; terrace €15; students €10 (limited); school pupils €5 and family (two adults, two children) €70.
TRAINING SQUAD: Props: S Best (Ulster/Belfast Harlequins), E Byrne (Leinster/St Mary's College), J Fitzpatrick (Ulster/Dungannon), J Hayes (Munster/Shannon), M Horan (Munster/Shannon). Hookers: S Byrne (Leinster/Blackrock College), F Sheahan (Munster/Cork Constitution). Locks: L Cullen (Leinster/Blackrock College), G Longwell (Ulster/Ballymena). D O'Callaghan (Munster/Cork Constitution), P O'Connell (Munster/Young Munster), M O'Kelly (Leinster/St Mary's College). Back row: V Costello (Leinster/St Mary's College), S Easterby (Llanelli), A Foley (Munster/Shannon), K Gleeson (Leinster/St Mary's College), E Miller (Leinster/Terenure College), A Quinlan (Munster/Shannon). Scrumhalf: G Easterby (Llanelli), P Stringer (Munster/Shannon). Outhalf: P Burke (Harlequins), D Humphreys (Ulster/Dungannon), R O'Gara (Munster/Cork Constitution). Centres: R Henderson (Munster/Young Munster), K Maggs (Bath), B O'Driscoll (Leinster/Blackrock College), J Staunton (Munster/Garryowen). Wings: G D'Arcy (Leinster/Lansdowne), J Bishop (London Irish), D Hickie (Leinster/St Mary's College), S Horgan (Leinster/Lansdowne), T Howe (Ulster/Dungannon), J Kelly (Munster/Cork Constitution). Full back: G Dempsey (Leinster/Terenure College), G Murphy (Leicester).
