Healy’s return a huge boost for Leinster

A good day for Leinster was made even better with the return of Cian Healy who had missed the last month because of surgery on an ankle injury picked up in training.

Jack McGrath has proven to be an able deputy but the availability again of Healy is a major boost to Leinster as well as Ireland with the Six Nations opener against Scotland just three weeks away.

Healy was not included in the initial 23-man squad but was drafted onto the bench in place of Jack O’Connell yesterday and came on for McGrath after 62 minutes and with the game in the balance.

Healy’s impact was immediate, barreling through Castres out-half Dan Kirkpatrick and setting up a ruck from which Castres were pinged and Jimmy Gopperth added the penalty which handed Leinster a seven-point lead.

The 25-year-old displayed his abilities with ball in hand again three minutes from time, skipping through three challenges and feeding Ian Madigan who sent Jordi Murphy over for the try that secured the victory.