Ireland's World Cup flanker Simon Easterby will play with a broken hand for Llanelli tomorrow in their decisive Pool Four decider against Northampton at Franklin's Gardens. Easterby sustained the injury in a training accident last week, and it had been expected he would be sidelined for several weeks.
"I've seen a specialist and he doesn't think the break will cause any long-term damage," explained Easterby yesterday. "I am in a bit of pain but it's such an important game that obviously I want to be involved and hopefully part of the team's success."
The news will be of some concern to Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan, all the more so as another of his other World Cup backrowers and blindside alternatives, Eric Miller, has joined long-term absentee Alan Quinlan on the injured list.
More encouraging is the news that Geordan Murphy returned to training with Leicester yesterday after recovering from a broken leg sustained last September. He is targeting the Tigers' Zurich Premiership game against London Irish on February 21st for his comeback, which could put him in the frame for the final Six Nations games.
Meanwhile, a meeting of the ERC board of directors in Dublin next Thursday could have repercussions for Irish participation in next season's European Cup. The board will discuss the competition's format, and most likely will opt for a continuation of the same format.
However, with Wales set to lose one of their five regionalised participants in the Cup after a year's dispensation from competing in the Parker Pen Challenge Cup, this creates an additional place to squabble for.
While the French may argue for a reduction in the European Cup format and the English will insist that one of them receives that additional place, the IRFU looks to have a better case. It is entitled to enter two teams, with a maximum of three, depending on performances. This is the same as the Scots and the Italians, although neither has provided so much as a quarter-finalist before this season.
By comparison, Ireland have provided one winner, two finalists, three semi-finalists and a quarter-finalist in the last five years.
The precedent of having a one-year's dispensation from competing in the Challenge Cup has already been established with the Welsh, and the IRFU's representatives will be mindful Connacht are only four games away from earning automatic qualification for next season's European Cup by dint of the Parker Pen route.
In that scenario, and were Ireland's representation to stay the same, the union would either be obliged to move the goalposts regarding Connacht, or consign one of the other provinces to the Challenge Cup.
