Leinster confident Ringrose and Keenan will be fit for Champions Cup semi-final

Leinster face another tough URC assignment against the Stormers in Cape Town this weekend.

Garry Ringrose, left, and Hugo Keenan of Leinster during the 2023 Champions Cup semi-final against Toulouse. Picture: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Leinster are confident that Garry Ringrose and Hugo Keenan will be fit to face Northampton Saints in the semi-final of the Investec Champions Cup in Croke Park at the start of May.

Ringrose has missed a huge chunk of the season, returning from injury for Ireland’s Six Nations tie against Scotland in mid-February where he suffered a shoulder problem that has kept him sidelined since.

Keenan, for so long an ever-present with club and country, had to withdraw from Leinster’s Champions Cup quarter-final win against La Rochelle earlier this month prior to the game with a hip injury.

Also missing in recent times is Jimmy O’Brien, who played no part in Ireland’s Six Nations with a neck injury. Leinster issued an injury update on Monday stating that all three would be assessed further this week.

“I don’t think it’s anything too serious,” Cullen said. “[Hugo] trained the week of the La Rochelle game and on the Thursday it didn’t quite settle down. Then on the Friday he did the warm-up and he said it didn’t feel quite right.

“We said we’d let him sleep on it and talk the following day. He played the week before and he trained that week. Some of the guys had time off last week so they are coming back in today.

“Garry should be fine and Jimmy is a bit more delicate from his neck. He’s been training away for a good few weeks now so he’s just waiting on that final sign-off. That’s between him and the specialist."

Leinster lost heavily to the Lions in Johannesburg last weekend and face another tough URC assignment, against the Stormers in Cape Town, this weekend. Their front-liners have remained in Dublin to prepare for the Saints assignment.