Cian Healy may return to Leinster for game time ahead of World Cup

Leinster will oblige Joe Schmidt this week should the Ireland coach asked the province to accommodate Cian Healy in their second match of their Pro12 season against Cardiff.

With the World Cup looming, Healy is chronically short of game time following an operation to his neck at the end of last season.

Although coach Leo Cullen says a request has not come through as of yet, he would not be averse to the idea of the Ireland and Lions frontrow coming on board.

“I haven’t got the phone call yet,” said Cullen.

“Everything is on a case-by-case. It’s important to have the link. He’s a Leinster player. He potentially would be helpful to us if he were available

When asked if he would slot in the loosehead prop, Cullen said there would do so without a problem. “If there were people who needed games, I would have a look at the selection, what we need and what they need as well.

Calling structures

“He would have to come back in and train with the group . . . it is very hard in a professional environment just to turn up on the day of a game without any training. He has got to get used to the calling structures.”

But Cullen, who hopes Leinster can bounce back from their opening Pro12 defeat to Edinburgh last Friday, regards Healy as good enough to perform even though he has not played a competitive match since the surgery in May.

"He's a world-class player," said Cullen. "The Irish management made the call during the Six Nations and we saw what happened there. That is the player Cian is. He's got special gifts and we're prepared to bring him into the World Cup even though he has not played so far this season, because they, and we, know what a talented players he is.

“At some stage in the World Cup he will play and then post-World Cup he will be selected for Leinster. We saw during the Six Nations exactly what he looked like and I thought he acquitted himself pretty well.

Similar scenario

“He hadn’t been playing for quite a long time but he went into the Six Nations on the back of having not played. So in theory this would be a pretty similar scenario.”

Leinster are hoping some players on their injury list will be making an appearance in the coming weeks. After Saturday’s game against Cardiff, they have a two-week break before their third league match of the season.

Cullen expects that Rhys Ruddock and 24-year-old lock Mick Kearney will be on the pitch when they resume.

Ruddock is rehabbing from an arm injury, while Kearney has had to undergo toe surgery. He is the third player in recent times to have such an injury with Andrew Trimble and Donnacha Ryan also falling victim to what first appeared to be a non-serious injury.

Gordon D’Arcy, another one of the high-profile names that Schmidt will leave behind, continues to struggle with a shoulder injury. D’Arcy had a scan last week and will be assessed by a specialist this week as he tries to shake off what has been an ongoing problem.

Some of the Leinster players remain on standby. Although the competitive warm-up matches for Ireland have finished, several who have been with the team before being cut may still be required if players fall to injury. Jack Conan, who had just one cap for Leinster at this time last year, has had a breakout 12 months.

“I spoke to Joe and he said go back and just get a bit more game time under your belt,” said Conan. “Keep on going the way you are going. This time last year I had one cap for Leinster so if I can keep on growing the way I did the last year I’ll be in a good place . . .

“Look, there’s a possibility it could happen,” added the backrower on the possibility of getting called up because of injury. “And if it does happen obviously I’ll be excited to go over there and help out as much as I can.”