Paris farce set to hit provinces’ schedule

The ripple effects of Ireland’s postponed date in Paris will spread beyond the national team and supporters with Leinster, Munster and Ulster’s preparations for the Heineken Cup likely to be altered as a result of the Stade de France debacle.

Six Nations officials confirmed yesterday the Ireland-France game will not take place this weekend. That leaves the first weekend in March as the most likely slot and a run of four games in as many weeks for Declan Kidney’s players.

Should that be the case, Joe Schmidt, Tony McGahan and Brian McLaughlin will be forced into tweaking their rosters for the two rounds of Pro12 games in between the last Six Nations date with England and the European quarter-finals.

Reintegrating returning internationals into the club scene is a delicate business at best, albeit one Munster and Leinster have managed with great success in recent years.

Last year, Schmidt used just two Irish regulars – Jonathan Sexton and Jamie Heaslip — on their return and kept his remaining seven internationals in cold storage until Leinster faced Munster a week later.

Of the nine, Eoin Reddan turned into the Heineken Cup encounter with Leicester Tigers with just one appearance off the bench post-Six Nations but many more could be telling similar stories come April.

“I’m sure there will be a knock-on effect,” said Leinster senior skills and kicking coach Richie Murphy, “especially if they play four in-a-row, because when they come back they will need some down time. We haven’t really looked at it yet but there will be a knock-on effect coming back into the Pro12 and into the Heineken.”

By then, Leinster will hope to have former New Zealand lock Brad Thorn in their side. Club officials confirmed yesterday they expect to complete his signing on a three-month deal from Fukuoka Sanix Blues in the next 24 hours.

“We have a bit of a crisis in thesecond row right now, especially with Leo [Cullen] gone for surgery,” said stand-in captain Kevin McLaughlin.

“I have gone in there to do a bit, which I am happy to do, but getting a specialist second row in who has won the World Cup and done everything there is to be done in rugby is going to be a huge lift for everybody in the squad.”

Leinster fared capably without their Irish internationals during last year’s World Cup and hope to repeat the feat against the Scarlets to Dublin onFriday.

Eoin Reddan, Dave Kearney and Sean Cronin trained with their club colleagues yesterday but it remains to be seen how many will be available this weekend. Definitely out is Luke Fitzgerald with a neck injury and he is on a ten-day conditioning programme and in line for the trip to Glasgow on February 25.

“It is probably a little bit early for Luke,” said Murphy. “He has come back and is recovering well but it is probably a week too early. It is just one of those injuries which you can’t rush.

“If he comes back now he will be out a lot longer so the thing is to give him the time needed. There isn’t an actual timeframe on it. He is not a million miles away and he is in good form.”