Leamy Out For The Rest Of The Season

Munster back-row Denis Leamy has been ruled out for 4-6 months with a serious knee injury. The news is a severe blow for the Tipperary native, who was back to his very best form in Munster’s epic 14-37 win over French Champions Perpignan in the Heineken Cup on Sunday. The injury was sustained in the last play of the match, at the end of which Munster secured their crucial fourth try through New Zealand wing Doug Howlett. Munster said that the 28-year-old, who has played with strapping on his right knee for most of 2009 having injured it playing against Llanelli in December last year, had a scan on Monday and was operated on in a Dublin clinic yesterday.

He will now miss Ireland’s defence of their RBS Six Nations crown in February and March. He may be fit in time for Ireland’s summer tour of New Zealand and Australia in June. However, he must now be considered extremely doubtful for the Heineken Cup final in May should Munster make it to the decider. Munster must now make the best of their resources in the back-row, and will need someone to slot in alongside David Wallace and Alan Quinlan, the frontliners at present. Donnacha Ryan, who replaced Quinlan against Perpignan, is among the prime candidates after his influential 20 minute spell in that match. Mick O’Driscoll, Niall Ronan and Nick Williams, a specialist number eight, are others who may step in. Under Heineken Cup competition rules, Munster could also opt to strengthen their back row options in March, when each squad involved in the knock-out stages gets the opportunity to bolster its ranks by adding up to three additional players.

Daniel "Pitchside" Pitcher Twitter: @DanFM104Sport About: Dan "Pitchside" Pitcher provides insight and commentary as the chief soccer and rugby correspondent for Sportspeak.