RUGBY:Chris Whitaker could be absent for the defining part of Leinster's season after the Australian scrumhalf sustained a leg fracture in Sunday's disappointing 33-6 defeat to Toulouse at the Stade Ernest Wallon.
A full medical report will be released today but the worst-case scenario has the 33- year-old sidelined for 10-12 weeks. The initial out-until-mid-February prognosis means Leinster's interests in Europe could be concluded by his return as the pool stages finish up with a trip to Leicester on the weekend of January 18-20th.
Whitaker was legitimately tackled by French flanker Thierry Dusatoir around the lower right leg on 20 minutes. He had a plate inserted yesterday, which will be removed in six weeks, at which point he can begin rehab.
"Chris has a broken leg," said coach Michael Cheika on arrival back in Dublin airport at lunch-time yesterday. "We'll wait for a proper medical assessment and release it tomorrow. I don't want to make an assessment and then get it wrong. The same applies to Gordon (D'Arcy, hip) and Girvan (Dempsey, knee)."
D'Arcy and Dempsey were both unable to continue around the hour mark, by which stage the contest was already decided as Toulouse led 21-6 and were aggressively pursuing a bonus point. Subsequent touchdowns from wingers Cedric Heymans and Vincent Clerc, four minutes into injury-time after a missed tackle by replacement Christian Warner, secured what may prove a vital extra point.
D'Arcy is expected to be available for the home and away matches against Edinburgh, starting at the RDS on December 7th, but Dempsey's recurrence of damaged medial ligaments could conceivably sideline him until the New Year.
When assessing the performance, Cheika identified numerous handling errors and poor tactical kicking as his side's major failings. The complete abandonment of kicking for field position in the second half allowed the airtight Toulouse defence to soak up Leinster's running game and force turnovers that eventually yielded the fourth try, claimed by Irish rugby's arch-enemy Clerc.
"We made a lot of simple mistakes, more handling errors than I can remember us making for a long time. Then our kicking game was off too and that back three will make you pay.
"We didn't read the game properly when they went a score up (11-6 on 42 minutes). They brought their wingers up to stop our running game and we failed to take the opportunity to put ball in behind them. We didn't use our heads. We didn't control field position and then the game just went away from us.
"By not reacting we never put pressure on them," he added in an accurate and honest assessment.
The early loss of Whitaker meant the 22-year-old Cillian Willis came in for only a third European appearance.
"Losing Whitaker hurt us early on as he is excellent at organising our game. Cillian is a good player but lacks the experience to control games but he will now get a run of games in the toughest of environments."
The Leinster season doesn't let up. They travel to the Liberty Stadium on Friday to play Magners Celtic League champions the Ospreys before facing Munster in Cork the following weekend. Next come rounds three and four in Europe against Edinburgh. Ten points from these matches now look like the minimum requirement. After all that Ulster visit the RDS on St Stephen's Day.
The usual line about Leinster's failure to deliver big performances on a consistent basis is back on the agenda but Cheika refused to accept such a black and white synopsis. "Physically, and our intent, we were right up there in the defensive and contact areas. We stood up to a difficult challenge down there. What we didn't do was read the game well enough. Poor decision-making like the charge down (on Rob Kearney) for the (Valentin Courrent second) try. This was also evident for the fourth try. We weren't going to get a bonus point. We didn't play smart rugby."
This again was a reference to continually running from deep ahead of kicking to relieve pressure.
On the Munster front, John Hayes (neck) and David Wallace (ankle) are the only concerns ahead of Saturday's visit of the Dragons to Cork. Both players were replaced in the 36-13 dismantling of an under-strength ASM Clermont Auvergne at Thomond Park on Sunday.
Connacht's eagerly-awaited clash with Newcastle Falcons at the Sportsground on Friday, December 7th, will be an all-ticket game. The match against Jonny Wilkinson's and Carl Hayman's Newcastle is poised to be a sell-out fixture.
Connacht are pairing the match with the Celtic League encounter against Glasgow at the Sportsground a week earlier with admission to the two games just costing €25 in total.
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