Six Nations on back burner as James Tracy puts Leinster duty first

James Tracy already knows what it is to pull on a senior Ireland jersey but the hooker is refusing to take a peek over the horizon towards the Six Nations as Leinster go about the task of securing a home Champions Cup quarter-final this week.

See off Castres in France on Friday and the province will be booking the Aviva Stadium for a knockout date in the last eight but the matter of that iconic international tournament in between now and then can’t easily be ignored.

With 16 club appearances in the bank, the 25-year old UCD hooker has already surpassed his previous best tally for a season and, with Sean Cronin out of action for the next 10 weeks with a significant hamstring injury, the opportunities for Tracy are obvious.