Rugby

Toulon’s Samu Manoa ruled out of Leinster return game

USA forward won’t be available as champions look to complete double at Aviva

Samu Manoa has been ruled out of Toulon’s trip to Leinster. Photograph: Inpho
Samu Manoa has been ruled out of Toulon’s trip to Leinster. Photograph: Inpho
Wed Dec 16 2015 - 12:31

Toulon will be without secondrow Samu Manoa for Saturday's trip to the Aviva Stadium to play Leinster.

The USA forward was replaced by Jocelino Suta after 54 minutes of last weekend’s 24-9 win over Leo Cullen’s side at the Stade Felix Mayol - a result which effectively ended the province’s European campaign.

But if the three-in-a-row champions want to do the double in the return leg in Dublin they must do so without the talismanic 30-year-old, who has a knee injury.

Manoa has played in every Toulon game since the Rubgy World Cup, and the former-Northampton Saints man is seen as a vital cog in the Toulon machine.

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On Manoa's injury Toulon coach Bernard Laporte said: "He hurt his knee. He came out because he has a small problem apparently his interna lateral ligament."

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