Ross speculation ratchets up

LEINSTER will battle to retain the services of prop forward Mike Ross next season with increased speculation the Cork native is set for a return to his Munster roots following the departure of Tony Buckley to Sale Sharks.

Confirmation yesterday of Buckley’s move across the channel on a lucrative three-year deal leaves Munster coach Tony McGahan with a lack of experienced front row talent ahead of the 2011/2012 campaign.

This is especially true on the tight-head side, with questions persisting over 37-year-old John Hayes’ ongoing ability to perform at the highest level.

The jury is still out on New Zealand import Peter Borlase, while the promising Stephen Archer only has six senior appearances under his belt.

In contrast, Leinster are well stocked in this area now Cook Islander Stan Wright is near a return to full fitness. He and Ross will battle to be first choice for the remainder of the campaign, with New Zealander Clint Newland as backup, while Connacht’s Jamie Hagan is widely expected to come into that equation if, as expected, he signs for his native province next term.

South African Heinke van der Merwe is a loose-head by trade, but Springbok coach Peter de Villiers believes his future lies at tight-head. Another loose head, academy product Jack McGrath, recently signed a new deal and can also cover the position.

But Leinster will not want to relinquish the services of a prop who has graduated to a starting spot on the Irish international side on their watch.

Ross’ ability to lock out the scrum has allowed them unleash Jamie Heaslip and Sean O’Brien at opposition backs at will, a key facet of their high-tempo style under coach Joe Schmidt.

Ballyhooly, Co Cork native Ross left Cork Constitution for English side Harlequins in 2005, and developed a reputation as one of the Premiership’s finest scrummagers before moving to Leinster in 2009.

While he struggled to displace Wright and CJ Van der Linde during Mike Cheika’s reign, Ross has become a regular under Schmidt and is now the main man in the Irish number three jersey too.

Meanwhile, it emerged last night that Buckley had attracted attention from four overseas clubs — including Toulon — before signing for Sale.

Buckley’s decision is understood to have come after a breakdown in negotiations with the Irish Rugby Football Union, who are believed to have offered the prop forward just a one-year deal.

Buckley said: “They (Sale) are hungry and ambitious for success and I want to be a part of that. I felt I needed a new challenge. I believe the best club to give me that challenge and also help me become a better player is Sale Sharks.”

However, he pledged to dedicate the next few months to helpingMunster win silverware at the end of the season.

“My priorities for now are to help Munster achieve success in both the Amlin Challenge Cup and Magners League, and to regain a place in the Irish squad.”

For their part, Sale expect Buckley to be a cornerstone of a new style heavyweight pack at the club, a throwback to a decade ago when they had one of the most feared forward units in the Premiership. Chief executive Mick Hogan emphasised Buckley would be treated as a key figure in the revival of the club, currently in 10th position in the Aviva Premiership.

“We’re prepared to push the boat out to secure the services of top-class players and we have no doubt that Tony is in that category,” he said.

“Normally you might not sign a 30-year-old on a three-year contract, but props are in a different category; Tony is probably only just coming into his prime right now.”

Munster chief executive Garrett Fitzgerald last night said: “We are disappointed that Tony has opted to further his career overseas but he leaves Munster with our best wishes.”

Meanwhile, Ronan O’Gara, Peter Stringer and Denis Leamy all return to the Munster squad for the Magners League game against Edinburgh at Thomond Park Stadium on Saturday (7.50pm).

MUNSTER squad v Edinburgh: Darragh Hurley, M Horan, W Du Preez, P Borlase, T Buckley, S Archer, D Varley, D Fogarty, D Ryan, I Nagle, M O’Driscoll, D Leamy, T O’Donnell, B Holland, J Coughlan, D Williams, P Stringer, R O’Gara, S Deasy, Denis Hurley, P Warwick, S Tuitupou, L Mafi, D Howlett, J Murphy, S Zebo, T Gleeson.

EDINBURGH (v Munster): C Paterson, L Jones, B Cairns, J King, T Visser, D Blair, G Laidlaw (capt), K Traynor, A Kelly, G Cross, S MacLeod, S Turnbull, F McKenzie, N Talei, R Rennie.

Replacements: A Walker, L Niven, D Young, A MacDonald, R Grant, N De Luca, S Webster, J Thompson.