O’Driscoll returns for Leinster

LEINSTER’S Heineken Cup hopes received a major boost yesterday with the news that both Brian O’Driscoll and Eoin Reddan will return for the province in tomorrow’s Magners league game away to Connacht.

The Irish captain suffered a knee injury during the European quarter-final win against Clermont last Friday week while Reddan was pulled from the side which defeated the Ospreys last weekend with a quad strain.

Both are part of a very strong Leinster selection for the rescheduled tie with Michael Bradley’s men while Leo Cullen, Cian Healy and Jamie Heaslip are all named on a noteworthy bench.

Michael Cheika has also taken the unusual step of naming his side for the following game, Friday’s trip to play the Glasgow Warriors, and he has gone with a virtual second-string for that one.

None of the XV named for Firhill have been first-choice players this season. It is, instead, a side made up of experienced squad men like Trevor Hogan and Stephen Keogh and younger lights such as Ian Madigan and Rhys Ruddock.

“We made it very clear to each player that over these two games each player in the squad will have an opportunity to wear the blue shirt and they will all relish the opportunity, I’m sure,” said Cheika.

“We’re in a position to welcome back some players into the panel for Wednesday, give others a rest and bench a few others, so that will hopefully ensure an injection of freshness as we approach the business end of the season.”

There was, however, no fresh news yesterday on the progress of Jonathan Sexton and Rob Kearney who are still rated touch and go for the European semi-final in Toulouse on Saturday week. That game is far enough away for there to be no real concerns about it going ahead but the volcanic situation in Iceland may yet have ramifications for the Warriors game in three days’ time.

A Leinster spokesman has said that the province is monitoring the situation and that the team will make the game in Scotland “by hook or by crook”, which would involve taking the ferry from Larne to Stranraer.

Meanwhile Connacht coach Michael Bradley is sweating on the fitness of six players as his squad’s resources are stretched to the limit as they face the second of three games in eight days when they take on Leinster on Wednesday.

And Bradley revealed at a press conference yesterday evening that agreement had been reached with the Magners League to play the game against Leinster after their Amlin Challenge Cup semi-final against Toulon on Friday week.

The game was called on due to frost on January 2 and efforts to fond a suitable date for a refixture came up short in the intervening months.

Centres Niva Ta’auso and Keith Matthews are doubtful for tomorrow night’s clash with Leinster in the Sportsground, while doubts also surround winger Liam Bibo, scrum-half Frank Murphy, prop Jamie Hagan and skipper John Muldoon.

LEINSTER (v Connacht): G Dempsey; A Conway, B O’Driscoll, E O’Malley, I Nacewa; S Berne, E Reddan; S Wright, R Strauss, CJ van der Linde; N Hines, M O’Kelly; K McLaughlin, S Jennings, Stephen Keogh.

Replacements: J Fogarty, C Healy, L Cullen, J Heaslip, P O’Donohoe, I Madigan, Simon Keogh.

LEINSTER (v Glasgow Warriors): I Madigan; Simon Keogh, E O’Malley, F McFadden, M Keating; P O’Donohoe, C Keane; R McCormack, B Jackman, M Ross; T Hogan, C Ruddock; R Ruddock, P Ryan, Stephen Keogh.

Replacements: J Harris-Wright, J McGrath, M Flanagan, D Ryan, D Moore, K Tonetti/B Macken, A Conway.