Leinster 'in the dark' over Conan injury

Leo Cullen says Leinster are “in the dark” over Jack Conan's foot injury.

The Ireland back row forward was in the province's UCD headquarters yesterday just two days after his World Cup was ended with a foot fracture sustained in training last week.

Conan was due to start Saturday's shock defeat to Japan in Shizuoka, but instead he was forced to watch on from the stands in a moon boot after a team mate had stood on his foot.

“He is literally back in the building 15 minutes ago,” Cullen said on Monday morning. “I just passed him in the corridor. It was strange seeing him to be honest.

“We will get him assessed, see the extent of what is going on there. We’re in the dark at this stage.”

Joe Schmidt said post-match that Conan had fractured his foot, and with Leinster's Champions Cup opener against Benetton in mid-November, the No8 has roughly six weeks to rehab if he is to be involved in the European opener.

Meanwhile, Cullen does not believe Ireland's shock loss to Japan will have any effect on Joe Schmidt's legacy.

“I don’t know, who decides that? That’s an opinion,” Cullen said. “It won’t take away from what he has achieved in the building alone, this club.

“He had an amazing impact on the group here. Ireland won their third ever Grand Slam.

“When you win those, when you have those achievements as a coach, team or players, you can’t take them away.

“So that’s not going to be affected, I don’t think. It is just another chapter of the story.”

Leo Cullen was speaking as Leinster Rugby announced an extension of Beauchamps' deal as Official Legal Advisor of Leinster Rugby, running to the end of the 2020/21 season.

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