More glad tidings for Ireland

The glow from Ireland’s defeat of Argentina at the Aviva Stadium swept across Dublin’s southside to UCD yesterday with the confirmation that Brian O’Driscoll and Rob Kearney should both be fit for the start of the Six Nations next February.

Joe Schmidt was the bearer of good news for club and country with his assertion that the Ireland captain is expected to return from his ankle injury a handful of weeks earlier than expected while Kearney remains on pace for a similar mid-January reintroduction.

That represents a more than favourable time frame for the pair if they are to be available for Ireland’s trip to the Millennium Stadium in early February and leaves them in good stead to make the fifth and sixth round Heineken Cup pool games against Scarlets and Exeter in the New Year.

“Mid-January is their expected return-to-play date so we will be guided by the surgeons and specialists who determine what sort of state they are in,” said Schmidt, “and as soon as they are back and ready to be fully integrated we will be delighted to include them again.”

Schmidt was just as enthused by the absence of fresh injury worries in the wake of the November internationals – although one or two were a tad “red-eyed” – but all ten of those who featured last Saturday trained yesterday afternoon.

Also present were Luke Fitzgerald, Eoin O’Malley and Dominic Ryan although none of that trio is expected to feature this weekend against Zebre. Indeed, Fitzgerald’s seasonal debut may still be anything from one to four weeks away.

With Sean O’Brien and Isa Nacewa coming through last Friday’s war of attrition against Glasgow, the overall picture is undoubtedly better than it has been for some time, although one has to feel sympathy for Quinn Roux.

The South African lock managed just two appearances due to injury since his summer arrival before suffering a dislocated shoulder in Scotstoun at the weekend and now faces anything up to five months out.

Leinster have an abundance of talent in most areas and showed as much by claiming an ‘A’ win in Connacht last weekend despite having six front rowers on international duty and another half-dozen doing business in Glasgow.

But second row is a major concern. With no Brad Thorn around and Nathan Hines preparing to face his old side in Clermont on December 9, Schmidt will be looking to Damien Browne, Devin Toner and Tom Denton to man up alongside Leo Cullen at the Stade Marcel Michelin.

The Irish and French sides face very different appointments this week with Leinster at home to Italian opposition while Clermont travel south for what should be a ding-dong battle with Toulouse and both will have to choose their personnel wisely.

Schmidt has players like Mike Ross and Jamie Heaslip who started all three November Tests to accommodate but it seems no-one is willing to take a weekend off seven days before what could be the most-anticipated pool game of this year’s European calendar.

“It is a balancing act,” Schmidt agreed. “There are probably some guys who have had a fair bit of rugby and who could do with a rest.

“There are guys who are very keen to be integrated straight away and the sooner we do that the better because we will get a bit more continuity.”