Ryan Bailey reports from the RDS
BOTH JAMES RYAN and Dan Leavy will follow return to play protocols after suffering head knocks during Leinster’s bonus-point 31-7 victory over Edinburgh at the RDS on Saturday evening.
Ryan left the field in the 20th minute of tonight’s Pro14 encounter and, presumably having failed his HIA, never reappeared to be replaced by Mick Kearney, while Leavy suffered a heavy bang not long after his second-half introduction.
The Ireland flanker, on for his first appearance of the season following a shoulder injury, was on the receiving end of a leading forearm from Edinburgh replacement Pierre Schoeman, who was shown red by Welsh referee Dan Jones.
The loss of both Ryan and Leavy was the only blemish on an otherwise satisfactory night for Leinster as the hosts rolled up their sleeves to come out the right side of a stern physical and mental test.
“Dan and James will go through the return to play,” Leo Cullen said afterwards.
“Obviously James was removed by our medics and Dan with the knock at the end. We’ll get the report during the week.”
Ryan’s withdrawal came amid an energy-sapping phase of play in the first half as Edinburgh, locked and loaded up front, laid siege to the Leinster line with 32 phases of pick-and-jam attack.
At that stage, Leinster had drawn first blood through Fergus McFadden’s 16th-minute try but they were made to work hard by Richard Cockerill’s teak-tough side.
Leinster, led by the tireless Josh van der Flier, man-of-the-match Cian Healy and consistently excellent Devin Toner, produced stoic resistance before the break, shutting the door on the visitors before striking at the other end through James Lowe.
“That was a big moment there in the first half when we held them out for what felt like 30-odd phases,” Cullen reflected, as the hosts took a 12-0 lead into the break.