Boost for Leinster as prop van der Linde returns

WORLD CUP winning prop forward CJ van der Linde appears to have put his injury woes behind him and is named in Leinster’s squad for Saturday’s Magners League derby clash with Ulster at Ravenhill (6pm).

The big South African prop forward featured for the first time in seven months when coming off the bench to help the Heineken Cup champions crush Brive and has shown no ill effects from that outing.

His return, the availability of all of Leinster’s top brass backs, including Rob Kearney, Brian O’Driscoll, Shane Horgan, Gordon D’Arcy and the remainder of the senior forwards, has left consultant coach Alan Gaffney in a positive mood as Leinster strive to retain top spot in the table against their second placed rivals.

Gaffney was delighted with the side’s ability to bounce right back into Heineken Cup contention with a resounding 36-13 win over Brive, after their opening round loss to London Irish.

He said: “To go to France and win is always tough, so we were pleased to get the four points. I haven’t won there too often during my time as a coach in Europe. Our scrum was strong and our lineout was good all day. We had to adapt to a new style Brive defensive structure, but the players adjusted and they deserve a lot of credit for that. Perhaps we weren’t as expansive as we would have liked, but we’re mindful that you need to adjust.

“The players showed great strength of character and resolve to bounce back from the London Irish defeat; although we perhaps weren’t as clinical as we would have like to be in the closing quarter of the match, we got the win and it sets us up when the next rounds take place in December.”

Gaffney made no secret of Leinster’s desire for a Magners League title. “It’s a competition we want to win. And we will have to perform consistently to make the top four; that’s why we have our sights only set on week-by-week performances. We face an exciting test against an Ulster side who have been in impressive form. They performed strongly against Bath the week before last and were unlucky not to get a win against Edinburgh on Saturday.

“They probably feel as though they should have won, which is no mean feat.”

Leinster (from). Forwards: L Cullen, J Fogarty, C Healy, J Heaslip, N Hines, B Jackman, S Jennings, S Keogh, R McCormack, K McLaughlin, M O’Kelly, S O’Brien, M Ross, D Toner, CJ van der Linde.

Backs: S Berne, G D’Arcy, G Dempsey, L Fitzgerald, S Horgan, C Keane, R Kearney, S Keogh, F McFadden, I Nacewa, B O’Driscoll, E Reddan, J Sexton