McLaughlin in line for return

RUGBY:KEVIN McLAUGHLIN could be in line to play his first match in seven months following knee and shoulder surgery when Leinster host Connacht in the Magners League at the RDS on Saturday. It will mark the culmination of a hugely-frustrating enforced sabbatical for the excellent young flanker who has been conspicuously unfortunate with injuries.

The former underage international won his first Ireland cap against Italy during the Six Nations Championship – recognition for a series of outstanding displays for Leinster – and would have travelled with the national squad on the summer tour to New Zealand and Australia but was forced to withdraw when sustaining a knee injury in Leinster’s Magners League final defeat by the Ospreys last May. He also had an operation on his shoulder during that period.

Leinster coach Joe Schmidt confirmed: “Yeah, I’m pretty confident Kevin will be available. What role he plays in the game, we’re not sure yet. It will depend how he comes through training. He was to be fitness tested about a week and a half ago, but we couldn’t get on the field to do the full spectrum of tests.

“He’s going to try that out and he’ll train again today as long as he’s fit to do so. Hopefully we’ll see him back on the pitch because he’s a really good player.”

Eoin O’Malley has recovered from the rib injury he suffered in the first European game against Clermont Auvergne and is likely to partner Fergus McFadden in the centre.

Schmidt explained that several players who were involved at the Ireland training camp yesterday afternoon and again this morning would be released to play for Leinster at the weekend. This would include players like Seán O’Brien, Mike Ross, Leo Cullen and Eoin Reddan. Brian O’Driscoll isn’t available, while Jamie Heaslip and Gordon D’Arcy won’t feature either.

Nathan Hines and Richardt Strauss, who were rested for the victory over Ulster, will come back into contention for the weekend.

The Leinster coach, who packed off his family on a 44-hour trip home to New Zealand for Christmas, was delighted his charges reached the targets they agreed for the Ulster match.

“We talked before the game about the fact that they (Ulster) would be six points ahead of us if they won it; with a game in hand it could have been 10 points ahead of us effectively, so we needed the result. It was great to get it.”

Connacht present a different but no less demanding challenge on the evidence of recent encounters. Schmidt continued: “I think they are incredibly competitive.

“How many times do they get hammered? I don’t know how many times this year they have had a losing bonus point. Even against us, they were unlucky to let that slip at the end of the game. They are always competitive. I don’t think I’ve ever seen them really taken to the cleaners.

“Even last year at the RDS; I had a look at the Leinster team and it was a good team they had out but it took a Johnny Sexton kick at the end of the game to win it: Seán Cronin got held up over the line, and could have won it for Connacht. You will underestimate them at your peril. They have a real tigerish attitude that makes them really difficult to break down. Even if you break the first line of their defence, they scramble well.

“They just give you nothing. It’s a credit to them, and I think Eric (Elwood) is doing a really good job. Sometimes you don’t get the reward for the work you do, or the reward takes time to arrive. I think they will be very, very tough and they were desperately unlucky against Munster, but that’s Munster for you. They win those close ones.”

Saturday’s game will give Schmidt an opportunity to have a close-up appraisal of two opposition players, hooker Seán Cronin and wing Fionn Carr with whom Leinster have been linked.

He admitted: “He’s (Carr) very, very fast, elusive, very strong and he’s got a low centre of gravity, so is very hard to knock off his balance. He maintains his acceleration very well even if he gets knocked off stride.

“He is a real weapon for them. They utilise him and guys like Seán Cronin, who is not quite as fast but who looks on a similar plane, speed-wise. Those sort of guys are lethal for them. It’s their unity and defensive work that makes them very difficult to break down. They will seize upon a chance where they create a little bit of space and they are away.”