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Leo Cullen provides health update on Luke McGrath after Leinster ace was stretchered off with scary neck injury
LEO Cullen has assured Leinster fans that Luke McGrath is ‘fine’ after being stretchered off in scary scenes on Saturday evening.
The Blues’ comfortable win over Stormers felt immaterial once the frightening scene of McGrath being carted off had unfolded.
But thankfully the 31-year-old being able to give a thumbs up as he was driven off the pitch seems to have been a reliable indicator that the injury isn’t too severe.
Afterwards Cullen was asked by Cian Tracey of The Irish Independent whether McGrath being placed in a neck brace was only precautionary.
To which the head coach agreed: “Yeah, exactly, yeah, just trying to make sure his neck was okay. But he’s in the dressing room fine.
“There’s no major issues there, from what I can see anyway.
“When you see a guy being carted off you start to get a bit worried alright.
“But I was chatting away to him, and listen, we were chatting about the lead in and all the rest of the game, so he is pretty with it.”
As for the game itself, Dan Sheehan notched two tries on his Leinster return before leaving to join up with Ireland.
Andrew Osborne bagged a brace in the URC clash, with star man Jordie Barrett also getting over the line.
But the day belonged to Sheehan as he made his comeback from a knee injury for his first appearance of the season.
The hooker, captain for the clash, said: “It feels like another debut. I was nervous during the week.
“It’s so nice to be part of this team and when it’s taken away from you for six months, it just makes it all the more special to be back out on the pitch.”
He now flies to Portugal to link up with the Six Nations squad, adding: “I can’t wait.”
SCORERS — Leinster: Tries, Sheehan 2, Osborne 2, Barrett, cons, Byrne 4, pen, Byrne.
Stormers: Tries, Loader, Roos, con, Libbok.
MUNSTER RECAP
Meanwhile in Wales, Ben O’Connor scored a try on his first start for Munster as the Reds grabbed a bonus-point win versus Dragons.
With their Ireland stars away in camp, the visitors picked a fresh-faced XV that claimed six tries in an impressive URC victory.
Diarmuid Kilgallen, Alex Kendellen, O’Connor and Dian Bleuler all crossed in the first half as Munster raced into a 31-0 lead.
The Dragons did score three second-half tries but the comeback was never truly on and Munster got another near the end through John Hodnett.
SCORERS – Dragons: Tries, Coleman, Wilson, Blacker, cons, Evans, Reed.
Munster: Tries, Kilgallen, Kendellen, O’Connor, Bleuler, Hodnett, pen try, cons, Burns 2, Butler.