Returning internationals strengthen Leinster squad

The Leinster squad to face Edinburgh in Friday night's RaboDirect PRO12 encounter at Murrayfield (kick off: 7.30pm) has been bolstered by the return of several International players from World Cup duty.

Joe Schmidt can call upon the likes of Isaac Boss, Sean Cronin, Leo Cullen, Shane Jennings, Fergus McFadden, Eoin Reddan and Jonathan Sexton for the trip to the Scottish capital and they could be included in the team which will be named on Thursday lunchtime.

Isa Nacewa’s 14 point haul in the 30-20 victory over Connacht in the league last time out brought his season’s tally to 70 points in six games and it also took him to 301 career points for the province in 81 appearances.

Ireland second row, Devin Toner scored his first try in Leinster colours against the westerners last time out with Luke Fitzgerald touching down for the second successive league game.

Second row Steven Sykes also featured in that victory and he continued his rehabilitation from the knee injury which had ruled him out of the opening weeks of the season with another productive workout for the Leinster ‘A’ team who defeated Ulster 46-19 in Donnybrook on Friday night.

Dominic Ryan, who led the Leinster ‘A’ team for the first time in the victory, also benefited with an hour’s action in that game after his recent injury.

It is anticipated that the majority of Leinster’s 14 World Cup representatives should return to action either this week or ahead of the Munster derby in the Aviva Stadium on Friday week with the medical team happy to report that there have been no fresh injury concerns for those involved in New Zealand.