Leinster boosted by return of James Lowe for Champions Cup final

Leinster have been given a timely boost ahead of next Saturday’s Heineken Champions Cup final against La Rochelle at the Aviva Stadium with the news that James Lowe has recovered from the groin injury he sustained in the quarter-final win at home to Leicester.

Lowe has missed Leinster’s last four games but was part of the extended matchday squad last weekend, when taking a full part in the warm-up, and according to Leo Cullen’s Monday update “will train as normal this week”.

His return will add to Leinster’s kicking and offloading games, as well as his undoubted game-breaking ability – witness 50 tries in his 71 games to date for the province.

[ Leinster v La Rochelle: Kick-off time, TV channel and latest team news ahead of Champions Cup final ]

Furthermore, Cian Healy, Rónan Kelleher and Robbie Henshaw all came through Last Saturday’s URC semi-final defeat by Munster unscathed after returning from recent injuries, while Scott Penny has completed his return to play protocols and will be available for selection this week.

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Against that, the desperately unfortunate Will Connors has entered the graduated return to play protocols and will be unavailable for selection this week after suffering a head injury just one minute into the semi-final. It was only Connors’s fourth start of the season, and seventh in the last three injury-plagued seasons.

There were no further updates on Vakhtang Abdaladze (neck), Ed Byrne (tricep), Rhys Ruddock (hamstring), Johnny Sexton (groin), Jamie Osborne (knee) and Martin Moloney (knee).