A very nice gift for Leinster and Irish rugby fans has been delivered by coach Joe Schmidt today.
Reigning European champs Leinster face Connacht on Saturday but coach Joe Schmidt was looking ahead to the January 4 clash with Edinburgh when he delivered some very good news to all Irish rugby fans today.
Schmidt was at Leopardstown to take in the racing but he spoke to RTE and revealed some excellent injury news about Leinster’s first game of 2013.
“We’d be confident of Brian O’Driscoll, Rob Kearney and Luke Fitzgerald getting back for Edinburgh,” said Schmidt. That is, without doubt, brilliant news.
Fitzgerald hasn’t played at all this season and he missed a fair chunk of last term too with a neck injury but after an operation his return to action is great news for province and country.
Kearney has barely played for his province this season due to a back problem and his absence has been keenly felt. A return to club action just in time for the final pool games in the Heineken Cup and the Six Nations is the very definition of timely.
And BOD, out of action since October with ankle problems, is so crucial to every team he is on that his return will be most eagerly greeted of all.
Schmidt’s good news didn’t end there either as he confirmed that shorter-term injury victims like Richardt Strauss and Isa Nacewa should also be back for the Edinburgh clash.
Leinster still have slim hopes of making the knockout stages of the Heineken Cup and those hopes have surely been boosted with this news.
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