Norton’s injury aggravates Leinster’s nightmare
He will be out of action for up to three months.
It’s bad enough for Norton, but the accident compounds the injury nightmare facing Leinster ahead of tonight’s Celtic League clash with high-flying Connacht at Donnybrook.
Ireland’s two Celtic League champions - Leinster and Munster - are finding the current campaign tough going with 20 and 21 players respectively, unavailable for different reasons.
With 11 of their top players out in Australia (including Argentinean out half Felipe Contepomi), Norton’s freak injury is the last thing Leinster coach Gary Ella needed.
Norton was selected at full back tonight and will be replaced by Brendan Burke, the Barnhall youngster who was signed on a two year contract earlier this week.
Burke would have played on the wing for this match but Gary Ella has asked him to step into an unfamiliar role for the province.
Leinster will be captained by Leo Cullen, who faces a shoulder operation shortly, and he will be out for the remainder of the season. The team will be led out at Donnybrook by Brian O’Meara who last week notched up his 50th cap for the province.
Leinster’s injury woes are so serious they have called upon Peter McKenna, who retired last season, to sit on the replacements bench.
Meanwhile, Ulster captain Andy Ward said the players were not getting carried away with their recent run of success and knew that the game tonight against Celtic Warriors (Ravenhill, 7.30pm) would be a stiff test of the team’s character.
Ward said while there had been great wins over Leinster and Munster, the players knew there was a new game coming up and they would not be resting on their laurels.
“We have knuckled down to the task at hand and there is a lot of self-belief.
“If we can believe in ourselves and know that if we do go a few points behind we can still come back.
“We have to keep building on that self belief.
“I know people will say we slipped two victories recently, but we were honestly the best side in both matches, even if it was not pretty to watch at times,” he added.
LEINSTER: B. Burke, J. McWeeney, J. Downey, D. Quinlan, G. Brown, M. Leek, B. O'Meara, E. Byrne, G. Hickie, P. Coyle, L. Cullen (captain), B. Gissing, N. Breslin, D. Dillon, S. Jennings. Replacements. N. Treston, D. Blaney, A. Kearney, N. Ronan, B. O'Riordan, P. McKenna, D. O'Shea.
CONNACHT: M. McHugh, M. Mostyn, D. Yapp, T. Allnutt, C. McPhillips, E. Elwood, C. Keane, R. Hogan, B. Jackman, F. Boiroux, D. Browne, A. Farley, M. Swift, T. Carter, J. O'Sullivan. Replacements. J. Fogarty, A. Clarke, M. McCarthy, P. Neville, C. O'Loughlin, D. Hewitt, S. Moore.
ULSTER: B. Cunningham, S. Young, S. Mallon, S. Stewart, T. Howe, A. Larkin, K.Campbell, R. McCormack, P. Shields, R. Moore, M. Mustchin, M. McCullough, A. Ward, N. Best, T. McWhirter. Replacements. B. Young, M. Sexton, R. Frost, R. Wilson, R. Spee, R. Constable, J. Topping.
WARRIORS: E Lewis; G Wyatt, S James, J Bryant, R Mustoe; N Jenkins, A Chiltern; P Booth, M Rees, C Horsman, D Jones, N Budgett, R Parks, C Harris, R Bryan (capt) Subs: R James, G Morris, R Jones, M Lewis, P John, M Nuthall, G Cull.
LEINSTER YOUTHS: A. McCormack, S. Mulhall, R. Lambe, K. Maguire, M. Rantz-McDonald, J. Moran, D. Farrell, R. Byrne, J. Gorman, M. Mealiffe, C. O'Keeffe, D. Tuohy, A. O'Reilly, S. Dawson, K. Maloney. Replacements. C. Walsh, P. Delaney, S. Gallagher, C. Dunphy, D. Barron, B. Westman, D. Fox.
MUNSTER YOUTHS: S. Maloney, K. Doyle, N. O'Driscoll, K. Merrigan, A. Cahill, D. Twomey, D. O'Donoghue, D. Ryan, L. Bannon, S. Fitzgerald, B. Nagle, S. Ryan, E. Crowley, C. Horgan, D. Twomey. Replacements. D. Corcoran, B. Hayes, K. Griffin, D. Burke, J. P. Esley, B. O'Sullivan, C. Walsh.
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