Rugby:Leinster hope to have Cian Healy back available for selection when the defending champions entertain Glasgow in the Heineken Cup this weekend. The Ireland prop missed last Saturday's 16-16 draw in Montpellier with a glute muscle strain.
His absence was keenly felt in the south of France, where replacement loosehead Heinke van der Merwe struggled at the set piece to contain Montpellier’s Argentinean tighthead Maximiliano Bustos, but the Leinster management expect Healy to be back in situ at the RDS on Sunday.
Despite a hugely physical encounter, apart from some bumps and bruises there were no new injury concerns for coach Joe Schmidt as the prepare to welcome the Warriors to Dublin 4. Glasgow’s last-gasp 26-21 defeat of Bath yesterday sent Sean Lineen’s side to the top of the Pool Three table.
Richard Cockerill, meanwhile, has described Saturday’s meeting with Ulster as a must-win match for Leicester if they are to make it out of their pool.
“We need to win next week at Welford Road - you have to keep winning in this competition,” said the Leicester director of rugby. “But Ulster are a good side with some very good individual players so it is a massive game.
“These are the deciding games of the season. The 28-12 result against Aironi in Monza was an important away win, which is tough to get in Europe. The Heineken Cup is very difficult and there’s a long way to go and you have to take the win and take the positives.”
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