Leinster still without Kearney and Heaslip

Ireland internationals will miss Connacht match next weekend

Jamie Heaslip will not feature for Leinster in Galway. Photograph:  Tommy Dickson/Inpho
Jamie Heaslip will not feature for Leinster in Galway. Photograph: Tommy Dickson/Inpho

Leinster will continue to be without the services of Rob Kearney (bicep) and Jamie Heaslip (back) for Saturday's Guinness Pro12 game against defending champions Connacht at the Sportsground.

While both have returned to Leinster’s training base at UCD to continue their rehabilitation, there is no further official update on a prospective return to action for Kearney and Heaslip. Both must be considered extremely doubtful for the province’s Champions Cup semi-final against Clermont Auvergne in Lyon on Sunday week.

The likelihood is that under the national player management programme combined with recent workload considerations players like Robbie Henshaw, Jack McGrath and Tadhg Furlong may be due a rest at the weekend, while others like Johnny Sexton, Garry Ringrose, Luke McGrath and Cian Healy will come back into consideration.

Sean Cronin, scorer of a superb individual try in the 20-18 victory over the Ospreys suffered no adverse effects to the hamstring injury that kept him on the sideline for 10 weeks, ditto for Rhys Ruddock (calf) and Dave Kearney (toe), both of whom were involved last weekend.

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A decision on Jack Conan, replaced at half-time during the Ospreys match, having suffered a bang to the neck and Adam Byrne (hamstring) who went off in the Champions Cup quarter-final win over Wasps will taken later the in the week.

Ireland Under-20 fullback Jordan Larmour suffered an ankle injury while playing for St Mary’s College last weekend and underwent a scan yesterday to determine the extent of the damage and to see whether it would have any implications for his availability for the Under-20 World Championship in June.

John O'Sullivan

John O'Sullivan

John O'Sullivan is an Irish Times sports writer