Quinlan awaits Lions fate

Ian McGeechan will wait anxiously to discover whether the fall-out from Leinster’s Heineken Cup semi-final victory over Munster rules Alan Quinlan out of his Lions plans.

Quinlan, a surprise inclusion in McGeechan’s 37-man squad, was preferred to the likes of Tom Croft and Ryan Jones because of his committed style, character and ability to set the right tone in the camp.

But the veteran flanker is at the centre of a gouging storm today after being caught on camera appearing to make contact with the right eye of Leo Cullen in Munster’s 25-6 defeat to Leinster.

The independent disciplinary officer, John Byett from England, has until 7.30pm on Tuesday to study the tape and decide whether the incident was worthy of a citing.

Recent history, including cases involving Dylan Hartley and Neil Best, suggests that if Quinlan is cited and subsequently found guilty he could face a suspension that stretches into months.

Quinlan, who appeared to apologise to Cullen immediately after the match, received glowing character references from his Lions and Munster skipper Paul O’Connell and the Leinster coach Michael Cheika.

Cullen refused to discuss his post-match conversation with Quinlan or comment publicly on the incident but O’Connell said: “Quinny isn’t that type of guy.

“He is a tough player. It is the one thing he hasn’t got in his record book. If it looked bad I am sure there was nothing in it.”

A suspension would almost certainly rule Quinlan, 34, out of the Lions tour and force McGeechan to make a second change to his personnel before the squad have even met up.

Quinlan’s Munster team-mate Tomas O’Leary suffered a fractured ankle just three days after being selected for this summer’s assault on world champions South Africa.

The Lions management will meet in Cardiff today, where the Blues tackle Leicester in the other semi-final, to finalise O’Leary’s replacement in the squad.

The Quinlan incident notwithstanding, McGeechan will have been relieved to discover that none of his Lions suffered any major injuries in a ferocious encounter at Croke Park.

But he may well be concerned how a Munster side featuring seven of the 2009 Lions, including captain O’Connell, were battered into submission as Leinster reached their first Heineken Cup final.

Ronan O’Gara struggled, O’Connell was quiet and rookie Keith Earls was comprehensively outplayed by Gordon D’Arcy, one of those he beat to Lions selection last week.

Conversely, all of Leinster’s big names stood up. D’Arcy, Luke Fitzgerald and O’Driscoll scored the tries but the victory was based on an immense defensive performance led by the Australian flanker Rocky Elsom.

Leinster were also inspired by some of their lesser lights. Johnny Sexton was assured after being thrust into the cauldron as a first-half replacement for Felipe Contepomi while loose-head prop Cian Healy also enhanced his burgeoning reputation.

Contepomi injured his knee and while the initial prognosis was hopeful Leinster must wait on scans to discover whether the Puma will be fit for the final on May 23.

Munster had been strong favourites but Leinster unleashed three years of frustration that dates back to their semi-final defeat in 2006.

“People had questioned our pride and our passion but we produced a big passionate performance to prove those critics wrong,” said O’Driscoll.

“We had also lost to Munster twice this season and we really felt we owed them one.”

Leinster delivered it with the same brand of steely determination that earned them a quarter-final win at Harlequins but they also brought a clinical edge in attack.

“The key for us was taking our opportunities and it was nice to capitalise on the pressure we created,” said Cullen.

“Munster are a team that pride themselves on their physicality and we had to work hard to match them. We talked about being clinical and taking our chances and that’s what we did.”

D’Arcy finished off an incisive break from Isa Nacewa and Fitzgerald jinked over to establish Leinster’s superiority at 18-6 early in the second half after Munster had been undone by quick hands from O’Driscoll and Shane Horgan.

O’Driscoll then sealed the victory by intercepting an O’Gara pass that had been intended for O’Connell and sprinting 70 metres to score.

“Even when Luke scored it was game on but I really put the nail in the coffin by throwing the intercept,” said O’Gara.

“Teams like Manchester United have an off day. Munster had an off day. Leinster were far superior and the better team won. You have to take your beating and move on.”

One plus for McGeechan is that he will have Munster’s Lions for an extra week’s preparation while Leinster ready themselves for Murrayfield.

Cullen, O’Driscoll and Cheika had them fired up for this all-Ireland affair, played out in front of a world record crowd for a club rugby match.

And Cheika warned Leinster must carry that same intensity with them to Murrayfield.

“The final is not the prize. We will have to go up against a team who are in red hot form,” he said.

“When we have got the trophy they can’t take that way from us.”