Leo Cullen has confirmed that James Ryan is unlikely to be fit for Leinster’s Champions Cup semi-final against Northampton at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday week (kick-off 5.30pm), but that Ryan Baird should return in time for that game.
Ryan missed Leinster’s 52-0 quarter-final win over Harlequins earlier this month due to a calf injury that he sustained in training. Baird also missed that match with a calf injury but it was relatively minor.
When asked about the pair’s prospects of returning in the next week or two after last Saturday’s 41-17 win over Ulster at the Aviva, Cullen ventured: “Ryan I would suggest yes, James unlikely.”
How to fix the Champions Cup?
RG Snyman was removed against Ulster in the 71st minute, having been a 52nd-minute replacement, and then applied an ice pack to his left knee. But Cullen allayed any fears about his dual World Cup winner.
“He’s fine. Max [Deegan] is on the bench, we were like ‘who are we going to bring him on for?’ He [Snyman] just got a bit of a dead leg, the lads are getting into him inside and he’s fine.
“Max was the last replacement and the lads, Alex [Soroka], Scott [Penny] and James [Culhane] were going well so we left them on.”
The bonus-point win over Ulster extended Leinster’s lead at the top of the URC table to nine points over Glasgow. It means that wins away to the Scarlets next Saturday and at home to Zebre a fortnight later can ensure top seeding for the knock-out stages before their last regular season game at home to Glasgow,
It is likely, therefore, that most and possibly all of the frontliners who were rested for the Ulster game – namely Hugo Keenan, Jordie Barrett, James Lowe, Jamison Gibson-Park, Cian Healy, Rónan Kelleher, Josh van der Flier and Jack Conan – will again be excused from duty against the Scarlets, as well as those who played last Saturday.
“It’s definitely case by case. It’s pretty intense the two Champions Cup games in two games. So, it’s how people come through, a lot of guys fronted up again on Saturday, so we’ll see,” said Cullen.
Coming on top of their five-point haul from the two games in South Africa with a largely second-string squad, the past few weeks have underlined Leinster’s depth chart as they continue to compete strongly on both fronts.
By contrast, Ulster lost Stuart McCloskey in the warm-up when he aggravated a groin issue, before his replacement Stuart Moore was forced off with a HIA and did not return. Michael Lowry was then stretchered off after lengthy treatment for a head injury and Andrew Warwick (neck) followed before half-time, only for his replacement Callum Reid to suffer a knee injury in the second half.
“Obviously losing Stu McCloskey before the game and then losing Stu Moore in the game to concussion is difficult,” said head coach Richie Murphy. “Michael Lowry thankfully seems to be okay. He’s in hospital, but he’s okay. The scans have come quite clear and then our two looseheads have struggled towards the back end of the game. A big toll I suppose, but we just have to see where we are on Monday and go from there.”
Ulster have slipped to 10th, three points outside the top eight, before next Saturday’s must-win final home game of the season against the Sharks.
Munster dropped to seventh, just two points inside the playoffs and Champions Cup qualification threshold, after a costly and controversial 16-13 loss last Saturday to the Bulls at Thomond Park. Munster were not helped by a mix-up that should cause acute embarrassment to the URC.
Munster tight head Oli Jager had been removed for a HIA in the 14th minute of the game and did not return. But when his replacement, Stephen Archer, was forced off in the 65th minute, referee Andrea Piardi wrongly called for uncontested scrums and ordered an extra Munster forward, backrower Alex Kendellen, to be taken off – it was fully 13 minutes before the officials were made to realise the error of their ways.
Interim head coach Ian Costello, who lost Peter O’Mahony and Craig Casey in the warm-up, declined to blame the officials. “It’s one of those situations, it’s disappointing, but it isn’t the reason we lost the game. But yeah, it’s far from ideal.” Munster are away to Cardiff, one place and one point above them, next Friday.
After a depleted Connacht were denied a winning try on review in a 34-29 loss to the Stormers in Cape Town, interim head coach Cullie Tucker said he was “very proud of our lad’s efforts”.
Connacht sit 12th, five points outside the playoffs, in advance of Saturday’s game against the Lions in Johannesburg.
