O'Driscoll faces an anxious wait

RUGBY:LEINSTER WILL sweat until today before knowing the prognosis for their injured players after what coach Joe Schmidt called Friday night's "demolition derby" meeting with Ulster in the Magners league semi-final in the RDS. Several players but two particularly, Brian O'Driscoll and hooker Richardt Strauss, are of concern.

O’Driscoll has reportedly injured a muscle behind his knee and has been asked to rest it for a couple of days. It was also reported by former Leinster and Scotland coach Matt Williams on radio yesterday morning, that a brace-type device has been put on the leg of the Leinster talisman to aid the recovery process before Leinster meet Northampton in the Heineken Cup final on Saturday in the Millennium Stadium.

The Ireland captain and centre started the match against Ulster with his right knee heavily strapped but was seen to be in some difficulty late in the first half after being tackled. Although he played on until the break, he did not return to action.

After the match Schmidt said that his outside centre had “a knee problem that was uncomfortable, rather than unplayable”. It was also said to be swollen.

A Leinster official said yesterday that they had heard nothing from the citing commissioner at Friday’s match, commander Eugene Ryan, and they are not expecting to hear anything with respect to a first-half incident involving O’Driscoll and Chris Henry.

O’Driscoll appeared to aim a punch at the Ulster backrow after he was held back from running a support line. The referee, George Clancy spoke to both players at the next break after his attention was drawn to the incident by a touch judge and neither player was shown a card.

Also in the medical room are scrumhalf Isaac Boss (hamstring), tighthead prop Mike Ross (shoulder), loosehead prop Cian Healy (thigh) and Strauss who has injured his hip or buttock. Man of the match Seán O’Brien also had three stitches put into a wound on his head but is not doubtful for Saturday’s Cup final, while Ross, had he needed to, could have returned to the match. Strauss, however, was in some difficulty leaving the pitch and again doctors will have a clear view today as to the severity of the injury.

Northampton, who were beaten 11-3 by Leicester in their Aviva Premiership match on Saturday and thus fell short of the final Twickenham showdown, came through a testy match with no injuries reported.

The one incident that will surely rumble on was when Leicester centre Manu Tuilagi punched England and Northampton’s Chris Ashton three times late in the first half. Ashton pushed the 19-year-old following a tackle and Tuilagi replied with a left, left, right combination. The two were binned and Ashton was bandaged up and later needed stitches.

“It will be different on Saturday because it is a one-off match at a neutral ground,” said Northampton coach Jim Mallinder.

“We have a clean bill of health after today, although Chris Ashton had stitches in his head. But Tom Wood is unlikely to be fit. It is not going to be tough picking up the players because we still have so much to play for.”

A neck scan on Munster replacement backrow Denis Leamy has revealed no serious injury. Leamy was brought to hospital with a neck injury on Saturday night, following his team’s semi-final victory over Ospreys in the Magners League.

Initial reports indicated that it may have been serious. However, a scan has confirmed that the injury is minor in nature. Leamy is still considered a doubt to appear in the Magners League final on May 28th until the exact nature of the injury is established.