Leinster close in on Cronin

IRELAND and Connacht front-row sensation Sean Cronin is poised to join Leinster next season.

Speculation intensified last night that Cronin will move to the capital and not his native Munster for the 2011-12 season.

“Many people would have expected that, having served his apprenticeship in Connacht, he would automatically move home to Limerick but there is too much home-based competition there,” said one well placed source.

Apart from the injured Jerry Flannery, Damian Varley has emerged as one of the outstanding hookers this season. Mike Sherry is following hot on Varley’s heels and Munster’s embarrassment of riches is highlighted by the availability of Denis Fogarty, who will return from injury in January.

This is the time of year when contracts are traditionally signed, and while Connacht would obviously hope to hang on to the outstanding Cronin, it’s likely that national coach Declan Kidney will want to see the 24-year-old fast-tracked to a consistently higher level of competition than the Amlin Cup.

Since Cronin’s 2009 debut against Fiji, he has profited from injuries to Flannery and Ulster’s Rory Best, winning a further six caps.

Hooker has proved to be a troublesome area for Leinster of late, with Bernard Jackman retiring last season and John Fogarty forced to follow suit earlier this season through injury.

South African Richardt Strauss has been holding the fort at number two since, with Jason Harris-Wright pressed into active service on a regular basis as his second in command.

Meanwhile Leinster coach Joe Schmidt will sit down with Jonathan Sexton to discuss suggestions of a possible move to France for the player, but not before this weekend’s must-win Pool Two game against Clermont Auvergne.

The Ireland out-half is, according to reports, a target for Michael Cheika who left Leinster to coach Stade Francais during the summer. This, despite the fact that up to 10 French clubs will be releasing out-halves in the short term — with all looking for new clubs alongside a raft of World Cup stars like Dan Carter and Quade Cooper.

“I think the Leinster public, the Irish public, want Jonny Sexton to stay in Ireland and it’s really an IRFU matter,” said Schmidt.

“At the moment, Jonny’s not thinking about that and neither am I. We’re going to maybe sit down and have a chat next week, or when we get a better time. This week is probably not the best time to discuss it for either of us.”

Sexton is not the first and won’t be the last high-profile Irish player to be linked with a move to the Top 14 but no front-line international has yet made that plunge despite the larger financial rewards it would bring.