Eoin Reddan insists the provinces cannot afford to dwell on the growing financial gap between the Celtic clubs and their French and English counterparts as both Leinster and Munster come to terms with their discouraging European situations.

It has been framed as a mission impossible, but Matt O’Connor’s coaching colleagues in Munster and Ulster believe Leinster can return from France next Sunday with Toulon’s scalp swinging from their pelts.

Leinster may have lost just once in their last eight outings, but the quality of their performances continue to drive the conversation as the province turns away from Europe and into a hat-trick of domestic interpros in the Guinness PRO12.

Leinster have confirmed that flanker Rhys Ruddock suffered a broken arm in Saturday’s Champions Cup clash with Harlequins and will miss the Christmas period as a result.

Matt O’Connor has launched a vigorous defence of his stewardship at Leinster as the province prepare for Sunday’s round three Rugby Champions Cup assignment away to Harlequins at The Stoop.

Two weeks on from the long-awaited arrival of Kane Douglas, Leinster coach Matt O’Connor is set to welcome another southern hemisphere recruit into his squad.

Any lingering prospect of Robbie Henshaw moving from Connacht to Leinster has dwindled even further with the latter’s team manager Guy Easterby highlighting the importance of provincial loyalties to the professional game.

Fergus McFadden could make an earlier-than-predicted return to Leinster this season.

When Leinster’s Six Nations heroes returned to provincial camp, they were met by the most advanced strand of medical and physical screening available.

Scarlets 32 Connacht 30

Leinster’s dynamic back row duo of Jordi Murphy and Rhys Ruddock are ready, willing and able to step up to the plate for Ireland against Italy should Peter O’Mahony’s hamstring strain sideline him next month.

Jonathan Sexton flies back to France this week for a crucial Top 14 clash between his Racing Metro side and reigning champions Castres with opinion divided over his form.

Guy Easterby believes Luke Fitzgerald is a front-runner to take over the fabled number 13 jersey for club and country when Brian O’Driscoll finally calls time on his playing days next May.

Leinster team manager Guy Easterby doesn’t anticipate any of the regular starters from the recent Irish international squad to take a full part in this weekend’s Rabo Direct Pro 12 game at home to Scarlets.

Leinster management remain confident that Brian O'Driscoll will line up for Ireland in the upcoming internationals and that Richardt Strauss will be able to make a full recovery from recent surgery.

Cian Healy has welcomed the increasing competition for places among Leinster’s front row as the province turns attention from Heineken Cup duties to Saturday’s Pro12 derby against Connacht.

Leinster manager Guy Easterby believes Leo Cullen has the attributes to become a successful coach but refused to be drawn on suggestions the club’s captain could start that line of work at his home province next season.

Leinster team manager Guy Easterby has said players need to use last week’s Pro 12 draw with Ospreys as a driving force this weekend as they head to Glasgow on Friday night.

Matt O’Connor will join Leinster this summer as Joe Schmidt’s successor having received the seal of approval from the province’s former Leicester Tigers Shane Jennings and Leo Cullen, team manager Guy Easterby has revealed.

Joe Schmidt will be on hand to ease Matt O’Connor into the Leinster job before he takes over with Ireland.

Injury updates from Leinster’s UCD base have more often than not been dispiriting affairs this season but yesterday’s was refreshingly positive ahead of tomorrow’s Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-final away to Wasps.

Leinster have confirmed there is no ‘Plan B’ in position in the event that Joe Schmidt is diverted from his role with the province and into the national hotseat vacated by Declan Kidney.

RABODIRECT PRO12: Leinster v Glasgow

Leinster have dismissed the theory that the province is entering a difficult period of transition with the loss of key players already confirmed and more expected once the current season ends.

RABODIRECT PRO12

He is 35 now and has played almost 200 games for Leinster alone in a career sprinkled with silverware but there were strong indications again yesterday that Leo Cullen will soldier on for one more season with the province.

Leinster manager Guy Easterby has launched a staunch defence of Jamie Heaslip’s form as well as the player’s performance as Ireland captain in the wake of Sunday’s debacle in Murrayfield.

Leinster will not be allowed to sign a replacement from overseas if Brian O’Driscoll retires at the end of the season.

Leinster have raised the drawbridge ahead of their do-or-die Heineken Cup tie against Scarlets next weekend and retreated to the solitude of Johnstown House in Co. Meath for a two-day camp.

Guy Easterby knows his little brother pretty well.

THERE was an inevitability, according to Leinster manager Guy Easterby, about how the European champions came out of the Heineken Cup pool draw this summer alongside Scarlets, whose new head coach is Simon Easterby.

Tom Denton has never been to the Sportsground before but the second row’s teammates have apparently been filling him in on what to expect tonight at a venue which Leinster have, regardless of the event, rarely found to their liking.

Leinster team manager Guy Easterby admits the constant shuffling of selection and unavailability of international players is a source of frustration as the management look to establish some consistency in their season.

Leinster manager Guy Easterby says the province would not look kindly on any attempts by the Lions to hold a mini-training camp next May prior to the tourists’ departure for Hong Kong and Australia.

They may be the kings of Europe but Leinster captain Leo Cullen believes his back-to-back Heineken Cup winners have a tough few weeks ahead of them at the start of the RaboDirect Pro12 campaign.

Leinster manager Guy Easterby expects his side to get back on track next weekend away to Sale Sharks after an experimental team were out to the sword at Franklin’s Gardens on Saturday.

Heineken Cup champions Leinster will earn another big pay day when they play French rivals Clermont Auvergne at the Aviva Stadium.

Brian O’Driscoll is confident he will be fit for Leinster’s Heineken Cup final with Ulster on Saturday despite undergoing a minor surgical procedure on his injured knee last week.

Team manager Guy Easterby has played down a historic double and warned Leinster they have won nothing yet.

Leinster played some sparkling rugby when they spanked Cardiff in the Heineken Cup quarter-final on Saturday, but, according to out-half Ian Madigan, there’s even better to come.

Leinster props Jamie Hagan and Nathan White are both expected to be fit for Saturday’s meeting with rivals Munster after the pair picked up knocks in last weekend’s defeat to the Ospreys.

Munster may be fretting over the well-being of their first-choice locks this week but both of Leinster’s veteran second rows reported in yesterday fit and ready to go for Saturday’s trip to Thomond Park after their weekend outing against the Ospreys.

THE last thing the IRFU court is controversy.

LEINSTER manager Guy Easterby has joined the chorus of criticism directed at the IRFU’s new policy on player succession.