O’Driscoll is still a doubt
LEINSTER vs NORTHAMPTON
IRELAND captain Brian O’Driscoll remains a doubt for Leinster’s Heineken Cup final against Northampton tomorrow.
O’Driscoll sustained a knee injury against Ulster last weekend and was unable to take a full part in yesterday’s training session.
Leinster coach Joe Schmidt said that O’Driscoll had only been able to run at “three-quarters pace” during practice.
“We’re pretty confident that by tomorrow he [O’Driscoll] will be able to stretch out and be able to fully accelerate,” added Schmidt.
Meanwhile, Jim Mallinder insists Northampton’s exit from the Aviva Premiership title race has invigorated their pursuit of the Heineken Cup.
Saints’ quest for domestic honours ended with last weekend’s play-off semi-final defeat by Leicester at Welford Road.
The Saints coach said: “We’re not staggering over the finishing line, instead we’re refreshed and looking forward to the weekend. We’ve now only got one thing on our mind.”