Leinster to wait on O’Malley and Kearney

Rugby: Despite their depleted resources, Leinster forward coach Jonno Gibbes has declared the side good to go as the defending champions face into a Heineken Cup double header that is likely to define their season. Leinster travel to the Stade Marcel Michelin next Sunday for the first a back-to-back meetings with Clermont without a raft of frontliners.

Given the strength of the opposition Gibbes conceding the occasion will be “bloody intimidating” but insists the visitors will not be overawed by the occasion. "I think round three has become very important for us,” Gibbes said today. “I think our preparation has to reflect the importance of the game and the size of the opposition. The quality they’ve got, the depth they have, the support they have.”

The good news for Leinster is that the players came through Saturday’s Pro12 warm-up against Zebre without any fresh injury concerns while Eoin O’Malley and Dave Kearney could also come back into the picture. "Brian (O’Driscoll), Rob (Kearney), Qinn (Roux) and Luke (Fitzgerald), nothing has changed there,” Gibbes said of the long-term casualty list.

“There are just two guys that we are going to monitor this week. They'll have a slower start - Eoin O'Malley and Dave Kearney. We're giving them a little bit more time to see where they are later in the week. Other than that everyone's good to go.”