Walking wounded should be fit

LEINSTER returned to training yesterday sporting all manner of bumps and bruises but the expectation is that none of last weekend’s squad will be on sick leave when the European champions face Munster in the Magners League Grand final on Saturday.

Brian O’Driscoll trained despite the heavy strapping to the knee which had made him a doubt for last weekend’s defeat of Northampton in Cardiff, although Gordon D’Arcy, Sean O’Brien, Isaac Boss and Nathan Hines sat out the session for precautionary reasons. Also on view at UCD was long-term absentee Rob Keareny but the full-back will not be fit in time for the Limerick showdown while Leinster sources claimed to know nothing about reports linking the player with a temporary spell in South Africa with the Stormers.

“We know nothing about that in Leinster and Rob knows nothing about that either,” said skills coach Richie Murphy.

“Maybe the IRFU have some background on it but we don’t have any information on that at the moment.”

Meanwhile, Tony Buckley looks to have played his last game for Munster after the province confirmed he will miss Saturday’s Magners League final.

The tighthead prop, who will join Sale Sharks next season, sat out training at Thomond Park yesterday and will be out for a couple of weeks after undergoing surgery in Santry on the AC joint in his left shoulder on Monday.