Blogs

Hugo Keenan and James Lowe set for injury layoffs for Leinster

Dec 07,2024

Leinster have been dealt a double injury blow in their back-three with both Hugo Keenan and James Lowe set for a spell on the sidelines.

The pair picked up injuries during Ireland's final Autumn Nations Series game against Australia last week, with Keenan picking up a wrist problem and Lowe injuring his calf, the extent of which has yet to be determined.

"Hugo picked up a wrist injury in the Australia game at the weekend, so I think they're talking around four weeks, is what I'm hearing there," Leinster head coach Leo Cullen said, after naming his squad for Sunday's Investec Champions Cup opener against Bristol Bears.

"James has an issue with his calf, we're still exploring how long that will be. We'll probably know a bit more in the next week. He was talking to a few different people, trying to get the full assessment of what went on.

"He finished the game against Australia but that's cropped up at some point in the game. Neither of those guys have featured during training with us this week."

Cullen is hopeful Tadhg Furlong (above) could be available to feature within the next couple of weeks.

The tighthead remains out with a hamstring injury, which saw him miss all four of Ireland's games last month.

"He had a niggle going into camp. On his return to try and get back playing he had a setback there.

"He is on the road to recovery. It will be a couple of weeks, which is what I gather from him. That's a on a week-to-week basis, hopefully it's a little bit quicker," Cullen added.

The Leinster coach has picked Ciarán Frawley to start at full-back in Keenan's absence and Jimmy O'Brien in place of Lowe on the left wing.

To offset those injuries, Leinster have been able to draft Jordie Barrett onto their bench for Sunday's game at Ashton Gate, with the New Zealand international set for his debut.

The 27-year-old joined the province last week, for the remainder of the season, and while he has only been in Ireland for just over a week, Cullen says the versatile All Black has settled in well.

"Listen, it's great to have a player of his calbre in the building. Again, we weren't sure how it was going to play out.

"He missed that last game [for New Zealand] against Italy through an injury which has thankfully turned out to be pretty minor. It was obviously a bit of worry when he was unavailable that week, but he's back in the mix. He only arrived with us on Wednesday [of last week]. Then it was trying to get him assessed."

Just two days after landing in Ireland, Barrett (above) took part in the warm-up before Leinster's meeting with Ulster in the URC last Friday, which Cullen says that has been a major help in easing his transition.

"For those of you who were in Belfast, it was good to just get him up and running, just even for us to understand some of the voices as much as anything else, some of the players, the messaging around half time. That was a really useful exercise for him.

"It's good that he's been through that now, so it allows him to hit the ground running a bit better this week. He's a player with a huge amount of experience at the top end of the game which is great.

"It's still early days, so we're trying to get him embedded in what we're trying to do. He starts on the bench this week, and hopefully we'll see him at some stage during the game."

The Leinster coach has kept some of his first choice players back on the bench, with Andrew Porter, Caelan Doris and RG Snyman all among the replacements, with Porter and Doris having featured in all four games for Ireland last month.

Sam Prendergast has been given the nod at out-half, making his fourth appearance in the Champions Cup and first start.

The 21-year-old made three appearances for Ireland during November, and Cullen (below) says he's been impressed with how the rookie had handled the step up to Test rugby.

"You're merging the team that played up in Belfast [against Ulster] on Friday night, and then there's the group that played on Saturday. Sam played on Saturday and played the previous weekend against Fiji as well.

"He's been the starting Ireland 10 for the last couple of weeks and that's the way we have to judge it, him coming back in. I thought he acquitted himself really well in both of those games and he deserves to start this game I think. Even just that relationship with Jamison [Gibson-Park] he's had over the last number of weeks as well is an important factor.

"Hopefully he goes well for us against Bristol, but as we know it's going to be a tough challenge, Bristol are a very cohesive team, well-coached, Pat [Lam] would know our guys pretty well.

"It's pleasing to see how Sam has progressed over the last three weeks, coming off the bench against Argentina when the game is very much in the balance and then starting the game against Fiji.

"We know Fiji, unbelievably physical, I thought he adapted pretty well to the game both sides of the ball. He stood up defensively, some of the challenges that gets thrown down his channel. From an attacking point of view, he's going to get whacked about a bit as well. I thought he stood up to that challenge pretty well.

"The national coaches showed a lot of confidence in him in terms of picking him against Australia, and that's a top end team he's up against. It's really pleasing to see how that month has gone for Sam."