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Leinster issue promising Jordie Barrett injury update
By Ned Lester
Leinster head coach Leo Cullen has eased concerns over the injury new recruit Jordie Barrett suffered for the All Blacks against France, saying the midfielder’s Leinster debut may be just around the corner.
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The 27-year-old voluntarily left the field at Stade de France with a slight limp in the All Blacks’ penultimate game of the 2024 season, although it was quickly identified as an issue with the opposite leg to the one that sidelined Barrett for over a month with MCL damage ahead of the Autumn Nations Series.
It appears the bulk of the recovery period may have been and gone, with Cullen revealing the international star is set to join the European heavyweights in the coming days, and could even debut in the upcoming Champions Cup clash against Bristol.
“He’s [due] in this week, it’s just been back and forth on the phone. He was ruled out at the weekend and thankfully it’s not serious, again, we just need to get some eyes on him and make a call as to when he gets up and running fully,” Cullen said.
“I think there is a chance, there’s definitely a chance [he’ll play against Bristol] but I’m not 100% but that would be the hope, he’d be up and running pretty much straight away.”
Fellow Southern Hemisphere giant RG Snyman will also be on board for the team shortly after a big month of international rugby.
“He’s due back and we’ll get him assessed and see how he is. He’s played three Tests in the last three weeks. He sat on the bench [for the first half against Scotland], played 80 minutes [against England] and then came on quite early [against Wales]. We’ll touch base.”
I wonder how Leinster will use Jordie. I would rate the current centres there above him, and the rest of the backline is strong. Pity he did not go out to Connacht, or up to Ulster....both would really benefit from a player of his class.