Leinster’s list of wounded begins to clear as Munster face hooker crisis

The logjam of Leinster players seeking daily medical attention may ease with news that Richardt Strauss, Noel Reid, Mike Ross, Jack McGrath, Marty Moore and Zane Kirchner could be available for Saturday's Guinness Pro12 game away to Zebre.

Strauss came through 40 minutes in the A interprovincial at the Donnybrook last Saturday while Leinster team manager Guy Easterby is optimistic that he will be joined by the other quintet in providing Matt O'Connor with selection options ahead of the weekend.

Fergus McFadden's bad ankle strain (six weeks) is just the latest setback for a province that has used 35 players so far in five Pro12 matches and over 50 if the pre-season matches are included. There will be one new face in the dressing room as Australian Rugby League Premiership Grand Final winner Ben Te'o arrives at the weekend to take up his contract at the Irish province.

It’s likely he’ll be integrated straight away in playing terms. Easterby elaborated: “Obviously, once he arrives we’ve only got three games before we have a break of a couple of weeks anyway, so it’s about integrating him as soon as possible.

“He has got a union background, albeit 10 or 11 years ago, so hopefully it’s not going to be something totally alien to him and he’ll be able to make the transition as quickly as possible and it will be great to have another number on board.

“It was nice for him to finish on such a high with the Rabbitohs winning at the weekend after 42 years without a trophy and he’ll come here in a positive frame of mind, really looking forward to the experience.”

Easterby explained that while Te’o split his time on the field between centre and secondrow, during matches he’ll be fulfilling just the one position with Leinster. “Ben plays secondrow in league, but it’s completely different and they kind of split it between secondrow and centre in the way they play out in the field.

“He’s very much a ball-carrier in league, but he’s also a ball player too . . . We’re keen to get him integrated as soon as possible.

“There is that time in November for him to be able to get a bit of down time because he has been on the go for a long time, but also a period for us to get him out training and used to rugby union again because that is going to be his big challenge, adapting to the game again even though he’s played it before.

“I think the one thing that I would say about him; he’s not just a bosh [merchant]. He’s got a great skill set . . . a decent passing game, off-loading game and a defensive game. That gives us a genuine option and we want him to be challenging for a position every week.”

Meanwhile, Munster are facing a bit of a crisis at hooker with the news that Damien Varley, who came on as a replacement against Leinster, must undergo another scan on his troublesome foot injury. He is definitely out of Friday's game against the Scarlets.

Irish international Mike Sherry is ruled out until January having undergone a second shoulder operation in August.

Duncan Casey, who played in all five Pro12 games this season, was unable to train in Limerick yesterday because of a rib injury

that forced him to retire in the victory over Leinster.

Former Ireland U-20 captain Niall Scannell and Kevin O'Byrne could come into the reckoning for Munster along with Argentine Eusebio Guinazu, who made his first appearance in a Munster shirt in the second half of their victory over Leinster in an A interprovincial at Donnybrook on Saturday.

Felix Jones, who captained the side to Saturday's victory over Leinster, and Aussie centre Andrew Smith were kept out of contact training yesterday but are expected to be available for Friday's clash with Scarlets at Thomond Park on Friday evening when JJ Hanrahan is expected to make his first start of the season.