Tuesday Round-Up
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Tuesday Round-Up
IRFU want Madigan to join Munster
The IRFU want Ian Madigan to join Munster next season, according to The Irish Times. That’s presuming they keep the 26-year-old in Ireland by coming close to matching lucrative offers from English and French clubs.
Madigan, who is out of contract with Leinster this summer, is awaiting a formal offer from the union’s high performance director David Nucifora after Bristol tabled €500,000 a season for the place-kicking outhalf-cum-inside centre.
Along with that deal offered by billionaire Stephen Lansdown, owner of Bristol Rugby and Bristol City FC, three other foreign clubs are seeking Madigan’s signature. Harlequins, Montpellier and Bordeaux-Begles are also interested in the Leinster man.
The other major contracts currently being negotiated are Robbie Henshaw, Simon Zebo, Conor Murray, Cian Healy and Seán O’Brien. Henshaw is believed to be Leinster-bound, especially if Madigan went to Munster, with Ben Te’o reportedly almost certain to leave the province.
Getting Madigan to sign his first national contract and join Anthony Foley’s Munster would mean Ireland’s three outhalves at the World Cup – Sexton in Leinster and Paddy Jackson in Ulster – could all regularly feature in a provincial number 10 jersey next season.
The current exchange rate between euro and sterling (£1 to €1.39) severely weakens the negotiating positions of the IRFU and the provinces, particularly when enticing or keeping foreign players or established internationals.
Ulster hit by injury crisis
Bad news for Ulster as they have been hit by a serious injury crisis as Dan Tuohy, Iain Henderson, Peter Nelson and Darren Cave look set to be ruled out for long spells of the game ahead of the must win double header game over Toulouse.
Tuohy has fractured his right ankle and suffered ligament damage. He will be reviewed by a surgeon on Tuesday to ascertain whether surgery is required. The injury will rule the second-row out for at least two months.
Full-back Nelson dislocated his left midfoot in a season-ending injury. It was relocated in the medical room at Kingspan Stadium and he was admitted into the Ulster Independent Clinic overnight on Friday. He will have scheduled surgery when the swelling subsides.
Iain Henderson is not expected to play for Ireland again this season. In what has been described as a similar injury to Paul O’Connell’s, the 23-year-old lock cum flanker sustained a “significant hamstring tear (left leg)” during Friday’s victory over Edinburgh. Henderson could be out of action for six months.
Ulster said in a statement: "Iain (Henderson) suffered a significant hamstring tear (left leg). He will be reviewed by a surgeon and his ongoing management and prognosis will be clearer after this consultation has taken place.
"Darren (Cave) suffered an AC joint (right shoulder) injury. His recovery will be managed on an ongoing basis but he will be ruled out for a minimum of two games."
Dan Hayes
