RUGBY NEWS:LEINSTER ARE in the market place for a tighthead prop after coach Joe Schmidt yesterday confirmed that Stanley Wright will be sidelined until well into the New Year.
The versatile Cook Island prop will undergo surgery this week on the Achilles’ he ruptured during the second half of last Friday’s pre-season defeat to Wasps, and is expected to be out for six months.
Speaking in Cardiff at the launch of this season’s Magners League yesterday, Schmidt also confirmed that Leinster will be actively seeking a replacement for Wright, one of their five overseas players.
The province complete their preparations for the start of the season with their final pre-season friendly against Leicester Tigers at Welford Road on Friday, and their options have been further curtailed by the unavailability of Mike Ross due to a strained calf.
Kevin McLaughlin (knee/shoulder) and Leo Cullen (shoulder) remain long-term injuries, while Shaun Berne (Achilles’) is also unavailable at present.
Against that, Leinster are hopeful Scottish and Lions lock Nathan Hines will be in contention for the game against Leicester, while Luke Fitzgerald, Fergus McFadden, Seán O’Brien and Devin Toner all came through the opening pre-season encounter on their return from injuries.
Keith Earls will undergo a scan to ascertain the full extent of the ankle injury he sustained during a non-contact drill with Munster on Monday, after an x-ray confirmed there was no break.
Earls was not due back in the first two or three rounds of the Magners League in any case as he continues his rehabilitation from the groin injury which curtailed his campaign last season.
Elsewhere, Rory Best and Stephen Ferris feature in the Ulster squad for the first time this season when the province entertain Leeds in their third and final pre-season friendly at Ravenhill tomorrow evening.
As part of the IRFU’s player management programme, both will be permitted to play for up to 40 minutes in the game.
Also included in the line-up is Adam D’Arcy, who is on trial with Ulster from the Manly Rugby League team in Australia.
The 23-year-old fullback linked up with the northern province last week, and Ulster’s operations director, David Humphreys, commented: “We have one full contract left to fill for the 2010-11 season and we’re looking at Adam as a potential player for that place.
“Should he get some gametime on Thursday it will be a huge opportunity for him to show us what he can potentially do for Ulster.”
Prop Paddy McAllister had been named in the squad, despite injuring his neck and back in a heavy collision in the first friendly against Bath. He will be subject to a medical fitness test.
Ulster coach Brian McLaughlin says the team he selects against Leeds will be “fairly close” to that which will play host to the Ospreys at Ravenhill on Friday week.
“We were very disappointed with the result against Quins last weekend, but we were happy with areas of the overall performance, particularly our defence and how our younger players performed.”
Clarke Dermody has been appointed London Irish captain for the season. The former New Zealand prop takes over the leadership role from Bob Casey, who captained the Exiles for the last three years.
Casey led the Exiles into their first Premiership final appearance, against Leicester in 2009, and head coach Toby Booth insisted the lock still has a key role to play.
“I would like to thank Bob for his fine captaincy in the past three seasons and stress the important role that players of his experience have on the continued development of our squad,” said Booth.
