No fresh injury concerns for Leinster

The Leinster medical team reported no major fresh injury concerns ahead of Saturday’s RaboDirect PRO12 opener away to the Scarlets in Parc y Scarlets (6.30pm).

Friday’s 10-10 draw with Sale Sharks may not have produced any new injury problems but Leinster will be without 11 fit international players who are unavailable for the opening rounds of the campaign.

Joe Schmidt won’t be able to call on a further seven players - Luke Fitzgerald, Mark Flanagan, Conor Gilsenan, David Kearney, Sean O’Brien, Eoin O’Malley and Rhys Ruddock – who have been recovering from injury throughout the pre-season campaign.

The recent three-match series against Gloucester, Northampton Saints and Sale Sharks provided a number of younger players with an opportunity to stake a claim ahead of the start of the PRO12.

To affirm this, the province finished the Sale game with 13 academy players in the line-up. Amongst that number was Andrew Conway who scored Leinster’s only try of the game.

Isa Nacewa successfully came through his opening outing of the new campaign in a game which marked summer signing Tom Denton’s third appearance in Leinster colours.

Ian Madigan, meanwhile, is one cap away from reaching the 50-cap milestone while Ireland second row Devin Toner is three appearances away from reaching the century mark for the province.

South African second row Quinn Roux is settling into the squad following his recent arrival from Super 15 duty with the Stormers and he could come into contention for Saturday’s game.

The team will be announced at 12 midday on Friday ahead of the team’s departure from Dublin airport later that evening.