David Nucifora ‘delighted’ as Cian Healy staying at Leinster

Ireland prop Cian Healy is on the IRFU books until after the 2019 World Cup as David Nucifora, the union’s deal maker, continued his impressive record of ensuring that all of the national team’s front-line players will be based at home next season.

Of the starting XVs that took to the field in the first two rounds of the Six Nations only Jared Payne, the Ulster centre, remains as outstanding contract business. Beyond that injured players like Peter O’Mahony and Iain Henderson are also tied up until next year at least, as are a whole host of men who see themselves vying to make the match-day squad and apply pressure on some of Joe Schmidt’s regulars.

Whether Healy, who signed his new contract yesterday, is still the number one loosehead in the Irish coach’s mind right now is yet to be seen given the toll injury has taken on his body in recent seasons.