LEINSTER ARE HOPEFUL that Ian Madigan will be fit for their top-of-the-table European clash with Harlequins.
Madigan rolled his ankle in the win over the Ospreys but following a medical assessment on Monday morning, he is in line to feature at the Stoop on Sunday.
“His diagnosis is fairly positive,” coach Marco Caputo said. ”We are hopeful of having him available for the weekend.
“The first signs coming out of the medics’ meeting this morning was that he should be ok to play.”
Rob Kearney was due to train this afternoon as he continues his recovery from a shoulder injury picked up during Ireland’s November Tests while hooker Richardt Strauss and lock Tom Denton are also carrying muscle problems.
Kane Douglas is going through the return to play protocols for concussion while Mike McCarthy (concussion) and Luke Fitzgerald (groin) are also expected to be available after sitting out Saturday’s Pro12 win.
Caputo said: “We’ve got a half a dozen guys who are touch and go and we are hopeful they will all come up Thursday/Friday, get the green light, and be available.”
Both Quins and Leinster opened their Champions Cup campaign with two wins from two, with the Premiership side topping Pool 2 by virtue of their better points difference.
Leinster took just five points from their December double-header against Northampton last season, losing the home game in Dublin, and ultimately missed out on a home quarter-final as a result.
“We are all aware that the next two weeks are hugely important to how successful our European campaign is going to be,” Caputo said.
“We are lucky to be in the position that we are in. As far as being able to control our destiny, obviously, we are coming up against a Harlequins side who have had mixed results as far as wins and losses and not being able to string consecutive wins together.
“I’m pretty sure that they are going to come out and they’re going to be hungry, and they are going to do all the right things in front of their own crowd.
“It’s definitely going to be a hard game for us. Having said that, we are going to prepare to win the game as well. The two weeks coming up are hugely important for us.”
I hate being negative, but it almost doesn’t matter. He won’t be at 10 even if he’s fit, and the game plan will be muck either way.
I hope Leinster hockey Quins anyway.
I’m hoping to see 9 Redden 10 Madigan 11 Kearney 12 DArcy 13 McFadden 14 Kirchner 15 Kearney next week. If McGrath and Reid come on and Gopperth stay glued to the bench, well that would be lovely
Funnily enough, MOC’s is criticized for his selection and tactics when it comes to back play, not forwards. Strange considering he used to be a back in Australia, where backs play the complete opposite to how he make them play
That’s an interesting selection. Shame MOC seems chronically adverse to sense.
Thought Kirchner was very poor on Saturday. Kicked out on the full a few times, easily spun twice in defence. Would start Fanning ahead of him on Sunday.
Should beat Quin’s either way, they have been muck recently. Never recovered after the beating Munster gave them a couple of seasons back and have been in decline ever since. Leinster might not be flying at the the minute but should still have enough about them to top this group.
I would have said the same thing before Saturday but we seem to be getting worse. No game plan bar aimlessly kicking to the opposition with no real chase, a 10 who only runs side ways and dishes out some seriously hospital passes and to top it all off if the last penalty on Saturday taught us anything it’s that we’ve no vision. Wonder what the chances of a mid season firing of MOC are?
I’d like to see some analysis of Harlequins. I don’t watch there games, so I’m a bit confused about their recent form. Conor O’Shea in charge of Evens Care Marler Robshaw Easter Monye Yarde and Brown…. How is that team losing so much?
Injuries and players away with England
It’s only my opinion but the type of players they have and the type of rugby they play is highly confidence based. Their team is best typified by Danny Care in my opinion, when he is on his game he is an exciting and inventive players who plays heads up off the cuff rugby that when it comes off can open teams up but when things go against him he can lose confidence and spiral, try to force things and make bad decisions and mistakes, also he has little graft or grind to his game when things start falling apart. I don’t follow them rigorously but something seems to have changed in their mentality after the Munster game, they were all champagne rugby on the crest of a wave beforehand but since that they seem mentally fragile and a bit unsure of themselves, kind of like they lost faith in the all-singing, all-dancing brand of rugby they had bought into which is a pity because they were fantastic to watch. Kind of like the Arsenal of the rugby world after getting their arses handed to them by Stoke…
Really hope MOC proves us all wrong but I just don’t see it! Sad considering the quality and strength of depth in the squad.. Playing such a negative game!
Mr anti rugby has dragged Leinster back into the dark ages. We need a clean out of all the first team coaching staff. Let Gerv along with mick ruddock take over till the end of the season
Unfortunately don’t see it happening, wish we would just get rid of O’connor once and for all especially when a coach like ewen Mckenzie is available, there’s no saying he would want the job but the prospect of a fresh start in Europe with a top team would tempt almost anybody.
We should have the strongest team we’ve had in a while so let’s hope they can do it with or without the influence of MOC.
I bet a bollock Any good football we’ve played since Joe left has been the players’ initiative.
The demolition of Northampton last season is a case in point!
As already said it really doesn’t matter if Madigan is fit because he won’t play 10.
MOC is a terrible coach and watching him on off the ball last week it looked like his attitude was dreadful. He has the look of a man in way over his head and he is killing Leinster rugby.
Ten year ago Leinster didn’t win much but played great rugby and then Cheka came in and gave them a hard edge that Joe made even better. It’s sad to see what is happening now. It’s not the results that are so disappointing but the bad selections and complete lack of positive gameplay that are hard to watch.
Leinster V Quins will probably be a bad game of rugby played by two teams that are not playing well and I fancy Quins to win it.