Strauss out for start Blues’ campaign
LEINSTER’S Richardt Strauss will miss the opening month of the new season after undergoing an operation last week to fix an end-of-season knee problem exacerbated on Ireland duty in June.
Initially hurt during May’s PRO12 run-in, the South African – capped off the bench in the second Test in Johannesburg – had hoped pre-season rest would provide a cure.
However, the approach failed and his belated surgery means Sean Cronin, Strauss’s back-up in league play-off games against Ulster and Connacht, can now stake a September claim on reclaiming the No2 jersey.
‘He had a small clean out procedure to his knee, so he will miss the first four weeks,’ explained Leo Cullen, who added he found Graham Henry ‘stimulating company’ during the Kiwi’s August fortnight in Dublin.
‘As a coach you always have got 100 problems to solve. He’s quite good at prioritising the most important ones, brings real clarity of thought to the way messages are delivered,’ he said about a link that will continue into the campaign.
‘He’ll monitor progress to a point.’
Cullen’s 14 months in charge have been eventful, but recent incidents – the death of Devin Toner’s father on the eve of the PRO12 final and the imminent departure of defence coach Kurt McQuilkin to care for his ill father and sister in New Zealand – show there is more to Leinster than rugby.
‘It’s a very special relationship the guys have. The phone rang the day before the PRO12 final when we were waiting in UCD to get an airport bus, a call from Dev and it’s not good news. It’s part of life cycle, isn’t it?
‘It’s a massive shock to everybody, and Dev is a key figure in what we try to do. That is some of the things we take on board, and it’s important with Kurt’s situation our thoughts are with him just trying to get the right decision.
‘It’s important he is with his family at this time. It was an easy decision. He agonised over it but, in theory, it was an easy decision.’