GORDON D’ARCY and Rob Kearney are expected to return for Leinster’s RaboDirect Pro 12 game against Edinburgh at the RDS on Saturday (6.15).
The majority of the province’s Irish national squad contingent returned for the 19-18 victory over Benetton Treviso at Stadio Comunale di Monigo on Saturday evening. Hooker Richardt Strauss, who was stretchered from the pitch wearing a neck brace – he had recovered sufficiently to sit on the bench before the game finished – and he is almost certain to miss out on this weekend’s game.
Leinster’s hooking resources are depleted as things stand because of injuries to Aaron Dundon and academy hooker David Doyle. It means Seán Cronin is likely to start with Tom Sexton on the bench.
Leinster returned from Italy with a win but it required a late drop goal from Jonathan Sexton to escape with the points. Coach Joe Schmidt admitted: “The Treviso game was a real test; as we knew it would be. We were sluggish in the first half which could be a result of the hot weather conditions and the fact that we were integrating players back into the panel for the first time.
“But I was pleased that we managed to get the result. The players stuck to their task and ground out a good win against a combative and well-coached Treviso side.”
The New Zealander knows his side will have to produce a better performance if they are to subdue the threat of last season’s beaten Heineken Cup semi-finalists, Edinburgh.
He added: “This year they seem to have improved further with greater strength in depth across the park. (Wing) Tim Visser has six tries in just three games and Greg Laidlaw controls the game for them astutely.
“Having already recorded an away victory over Cardiff Blues this year, they will travel to Dublin with confidence and we’re well aware of their many threats. It’ll be another big challenge for us and we’ll need to be more co-ordinated than last weekend.”
Meanwhile, former Leinster coach Michael Cheika is expected to be confirmed as head coach at the Super Rugby franchise the NSW Waratahs, today. A press conference has been called to announce the successor to Michael Foley, who quit the struggling franchise in July to take up a three-year deal with Western Force.
Cheika, who took over at Leinster in 2005 from current Ireland coach Declan Kidney and led the province to Celtic League glory in 2008 and their first Heineken Cup triumph the following year, is expected to beat his former assistant at the Irish province Alan Gaffney and Tim Lane to the top job at the Waratahs.
Reports in Australia suggest Cheika might invite Rocky Elsom to return to the Australian franchise; the pair famously worked together at Leinster where Elsom produced a series of phenomenal performances.
The former Australian captain has been bedevilled by injury for over a year and saw a club contract in Japan fall though because of a shoulder problem. He also had talks with French club Toulon but they too declined his services on medical grounds.
