NO SOONER HAD Leinster’s weekly injury bulletin delivered positive news on Robbie Henshaw’s recovery from a hamstring strain, had Stuart Lancaster, unprompted, dropped something of a bombshell in the room next door.
With no mention of either Johnny Sexton or Devin Toner on the update given to media, the assumption was that the province were reporting a clean bill of a health ahead of Saturday’s Heineken Champions Cup rendezvous with Toulouse at the RDS.
Lancaster speaking to the media yesterday. Source: Laszlo Geczo/INPHO
However, the injury picture was soon to become a lot different as Lancaster, the Leinster senior coach, made his way from room-to-room and briefed the various media sections on the fitness of the province’s captain and set-piece lynchpin.
After providing details on the remarkable progress made by Henshaw in recent weeks and confirming the Ireland centre could yet make an ahead-of-schedule return this weekend, Lancaster then revealed the news every Leinster fan didn’t want to hear in such an important European week.
Sexton hasn’t trained since sustaining a ‘lower leg’ injury in the defeat to Munster at Thomond Park on 29 December, while Toner is currently nursing an ankle problem and both are now in a race to be fit for Saturday’s pivotal Pool 1 showdown [KO 1pm, Virgin Media/Channel 4/BT Sport].
The pair sat out Leinster’s squad session at Donnybrook but the hope is that they can return to the training paddock on Tuesday under medical supervision, with Ross Byrne and Scott Fardy on standby for important starting roles.
While the loss of Sexton would be an unquantifiable blow to the European champions for such a crucial fixture in their defence of the trophy they lifted in Bibao, Leinster have every confidence in Byrne to deputise and ‘run the show’ against the French visitors.
The 23-year-old ran the backline in Sexton’s absence in training yesterday and is no stranger to big European games, having started both pool fixtures against Montpellier last term, as well as the Pro14 semi-final against Munster last May.
“I’ve got absolutely no doubt that Ross Byrne is ready to play at this level, in this competition,” Lancaster said.
“When you think of the games he played in last year for Leinster in Europe. There’s no doubt in our minds about Ross’ capability to play at this level and run the show. I actually think he’s been probably the most improved player that we’ve had over the course of the last 12 months and totally justified his call-up to Ireland.”
Byrne, who made his international debut against Italy during November before winning a second cap against USA, played the full 80 minutes of the inter-pro win over Connacht before Christmas but was rested for the trip to Limerick and was an unused sub in Saturday’s six-try dismissal of Ulster.