Rabo Pro 12 final, RDS
Dublin, Leinster rugy, Ulster rugby, Brian O’Driscoll, Seán Obrien, Warren
Gatland
This afternoon the Lions
supplied clear information about Seán O’Brien’s bruised knee – after a bone on
bone collision in last Friday’s Challenge Cup final – with head coach Warren
Gatland ruling him out of all rugby until the second or third match on tour.
That means O’Brien will not
feature in Saturday’s Rabo Pro 12 final, despite an official Leinster statement
refusing to rule him out.
There appears to have been a
communication breakdown but Gatland’s professionalism with the media was a
welcome change, stating O’Brien’s domestic season is over. In fact, he has
already joined the Lions camp and is being treated by the medical team, which
includes Ireland’s Eanna Falvey.
“He has come in and been
looked at by the medics,” said Gatland. “Hopefully he’s going to spend this
week with us. It’s a bit of bone bruising by all accounts. That’s only a couple
of weeks maybe. We are just hoping it’s no longer than that.
“With bone bruising it’s a
little bit unpredictable. But he’s come in and they have said it was a little
bit more positive than they had first thought which was good.”
The other Lions injury
concern is Brian O’Driscoll but Gatland expects him to play against Ulster.
“Obviously Brian O’Driscoll
is hoping to be fit to play this week. He is on his feet again and hoping to
play this weekend. We’ve been quite lucky at the moment. Fingers crossed for
the two finals this week, so the guys can turn up on Sunday and fly out on
Monday.”
The first ever gathering of
the Lions on Irish soil, fittingly at Carton House - a demesne awarded to
Maurice FitzGerald for helping the Normans capture Dublin in 1170 (the invaders
also, allegedly, used the power of four slogan to help unite their conquered
tribes) - was going swimmingly today until the first question.
It was about the European
player of the year. Again.
“No. I think we’ve been through
the conversation. I don’t think anything has changed from the conversation we
had last time. If we pick up an injury on tour, then maybe there’s a
conversation to have.
“If we had taken 38 rather
than 37, it wouldn’t have been another 10, it would have been another loose
forward.”
Hogg, the 20-year-old
Scottish fullback, revealed he was an outhalf until turning professional.
Actually, he only switched to centre two years ago to play alongside an outhalf
he admired, subsequently moved to 15 when signed by Glasgow, where he shined
during the Six Nations.
Hogg has also been
place-kicking of late for Glasgow and alongside Farrell and Leigh Halfpenny in
Cardiff last week.
Both Farrell and Hogg are
expected to get a run at 10 against the Barbarians in Hong Kong on June 1st,
with Sexton rested due to his involvement in Leinster’s final against Ulster on
Saturday at the RDS.
But with Quade Cooper not
selected by Australia coach Robbie Deans and Gatland unable to get Wilkinson to
tour because of his commitments to Toulon, the outhalf issue looks set to run
and run, in both hemispheres, until the distraction of actual rugby takes over.
Then again, it will be a
live issue once again should Toulouse beat Toulon in this weekend’s Top 14
semi-final as that would immediately free up Wilkinson and the already selected
Gethin Jenkins.
But Gatland added: “How do I
say no a different way? From what I have seen, there are going to be six
(Australian) players added, so I guess they are just assessing his form and I
presume (Cooper) is going to be added later on.”
Fergus McFadden (neck)
remains the other major injury worry for Leinster after he was withdrawn
against Stade Francais last weekend.
The shoulder injury that saw
Richardt Strauss replaced by Seán Cronin late on against the French is not
expected to keep him out of the final, however, while Kevin McLaughlin, who was
rested for the Stade game, could “come back into the frame”.
After a five-week absence
following the concussion he suffered against Munster, Dave Kearney may also be
in the reckoning when the team is revealed on Friday afternoon.