Dundon banking on Blues to hit back

Gluttony may be all the rage at this time of year but Leinster continue to get by on survival rations when it comes to the hooking department as they prepare for the visit of Ulster to the RDS for tomorrow’s RaboDirect PRO12 encounter.

It has been thus since it was confirmed at the start of October that heart surgery was required which would not threaten Ireland international Richardt Strauss’ career but would sideline him for the rest of the season.

The slack has since been taken up for the most part by his fellow Test colleague Sean Cronin and New Zealand journeyman Aaron Dundon and with a couple of inexperienced academy kids acting as the only cover beyond that.

It is a holding operation at best and one that is far from ideal for a side that is contending on two fronts and the hope is that Leinster can soon dispense with the last of the work permit issues that have held up the arrival of another body.

Quentin MacDonald, a New Zealand Maori who spent last season with the Blues, is believed to be the mystery man winging his way to Dublin so it seemed only natural to quiz Dundon on what he knew of his compatriot.

“I don’t know the new hooker personally but I’ve seen him in action a few times and he’s a very good player,” said the 31-year old. “He played with Tasman and he was involved with Crusaders before that. It’s a specialist position so you really need three experienced hookers in there,” he added. “Because if one goes down, then two, especially with those big games coming up, you need those experienced players.”

Maybe not but the situation, unfortunate though it is, has opened the door again for a man who previously held the fort at the centre of the front row for a prolonged spell in 2011 when Strauss and Cronin were away on World Cup duties.

Dundon is just one more appearance off the bench away from equalling his busiest campaign since being called into the squad in 2010 by Joe Schmidt on the back of a career with Seapoint and then Bernard Jackman’s Clontarf.

His is the type of story we have heard often from stray Aussies or Kiwis who have wandered north on O.E. (overseas experience) in that a planned six-month trip to visit family has stretched into a ten-year stint and counting.

“It’s good for me to get a run of games,” he admitted.

“My fitness is improving and the more games you play you learn more and more. I’m delighted to be getting a few runs. Long may it last.”

Had things been different, he would be back home now still digesting a Christmas dinner eaten on the beach but recent results and performances have left little scope for R&R around the environs of the team’s UCD base.

That 40-7 evisceration of Northampton Saints seems a long, long time ago now given the defeat in the return at the Aviva and another loss at a wet and windswept Murrayfield against Edinburgh last Friday.

Having displayed such ruthlessness at Franklin’s Gardens, Leinster have suddenly become gun-shy. No tries in two games is unlike them — even accounting for the weather in Scotland — and head coach Matt O’Connor has no doubt had his say.

“He’s obviously disappointed with the last two weeks, especially after the victory we had over in Northampton and the way that we played there. It was gut-wrenching. So he’s disappointed because he knows we can do better.

“He’s expecting a better performance from us this weekend. There’s definitely been a few harsh words as there should be. We all know that the last two performances haven’t been good enough. We have to back it up this weekend.”