Leinster boss Leo Cullen believes that Johnny Sexton will still play an influential role for his side and backs Ross Byrne to make the most of his opportunity against Ulster in the Champions Cup.
Sexton went under the knife this week following an injury he sustained in Ireland’s Six Nations victory over England which secured the Grand Slam.
The veteran pivot will likely miss the remainder of the United Rugby Championship and Champions Cup season, with Byrne filling his void in the starting line-up.
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Influential Sexton
Barring a miraculous recovery, Sexton will not turn out for Leinster again this season, meaning the 37-year-old may have already played his final game for the side.
However, Cullen believes that he will still play a vital role for the province from the sidelines as the group’s captain.
“He was down at training yesterday on his crutches. He had his surgery on Tuesday,” the Leinster boss said.
“Johnny will be influential, hopefully, for the rest of the season. At the moment, it’s just week-on-week, isn’t it?
“Hopefully, Johnny will play a role; for the moment, it’s all about the here and the now.
“We are not really looking past tomorrow, so it’s just geared up towards this game.
“It’s part and parcel of the game, isn’t it? We’re lucky in terms of the squad we have.
“Johnny has gone off and had his surgery which is likely going to rule him out for the rest of the season; we all know that now.
“For him, he’s just got to deal with the rehab part and turn his attention to whatever that process looks like for him.”
Confidence in Byrne
Leinster’s depth is well documented, with Cullen regularly able to field a matchday squad without his Ireland internationals and still get results.
However, players like Sexton are usually ushered back into the XV when the side enters the business end of competitions.
Despite being without his captain and star fly-half, Cullen has confidence in the players, like Byrne, who will be stepping up to the plate.
“For the rest of the guys, they just kick on, into gear, and it’s an opportunity for someone else to step in, and obviously Ross wears the ten shirt this week, and he’s been excellent throughout all the season and past seasons as well,” he added.
“There’s a huge amount of confidence there, so we just look forward, and it’s an opportunity for someone else; that’s the way I always look at it.”
Leinster host Ulster at the Aviva Stadium in the Champions Cup this weekend, looking to book their place in the tournament’s quarter-finals.
Last season, the Irish province reached the URC semi-finals and Champions Cup final, falling to the Bulls and La Rochelle respectively.