With Varley absence, hooker problems mount for provinces and Ireland

With hookers falling like autumn leaves, the results of Damien Varley’s heel scan today increases in importance.

Munster are already without Mike Sherry for the season and with Richardt Strauss recuperating from heart surgery for a similar time period, the return of Ulster's Rory Best cannot come quickly enough. Especially with the opening Six Nations game against Scotland less than four weeks away.

Ireland coach Joe Schmidt does have Seán Cronin to turn to, although Leinster are mildly concerned about Aaron Dundon’s A/C joint, even if he did tog out for training yesterday.

With such a crucial match away to Gloucester on Saturday, it is Munster’s stock that looks dangerously depleted.

After Sherry and Varley comes Duncan Casey and Niall Scannell, recent promotions from the academy, hence the call up for Young Munster’s Ger Slattery for his Pro 12 debut earlier this season.

Presumably, Munster coach Rob Penney does have the option of temporarily adding to his European roster with a foreign player.

Denied their request
Or maybe not. It should be noted that Leinster were denied their request to hold on to Lote Tuqiri and the supposedly imminent arrival of a Southern Hemisphere hooker, as cover for Strauss, has yet to materialise.

From a national perspective, Best's return to face Montpellier on Friday night would allay the hooking problem. The 31 year old is the number one Ireland selection but hasn't played any rugby since cracking his arm during that brilliantly manic, if short-lived salvo against New Zealand on November 24th.

Munster also have problems at scrumhalf with news on Cathal Sheridan’s knee injury also due this afternoon but it seems Conor Murray’s return from a medial knee injury, sustained four weeks ago, can be fast tracked.

Simon Zebo, absent for 12 weeks with a cracked bone in his left foot, joined his Lions team-mate at training yesterday.

“There is a chance Murray will be involved against Gloucester,” said Penney. “Always was. Hopefully, everything being equal, and the work that’s being done by the medical team behind the scene comes to fruition this week.”

James Downey (groin) and Keith Earls (shoulder) are also set to start in Kingsholm but the prognosis for James Cronin, JJ Hanrahan and Sean Dougall is less optimistic.

Leinster expect Rhys Ruddock’s calf strain to clear up before settling on their starting backrow to face Castres. Rob Kearney also sat out training.

Judging from Jordi Murphy's man-of-the-match showing in Galway last Saturday, the 22-year-old is poised to be retained at openside alongside Jamie Heaslip and Ruddock.

Shop window
"Jordi has been very good," said assistant Leinster coach Richie Murphy. "Obviously he had two man-of-the-match performances in the last two weeks and that puts him right in the shop window for a start this week "His physicality, his ball- carrying, his pace, his reading of the game is very good so he's right up there."

Cian Healy and Seán O’Brien are the high-profile absentees but veteran forwards Leo Cullen and Shane Jennings are available for selection.