Leinster will prepare in spite of uncertainty
THE recent coronavirus outbreak has created a sense of uncertainty around the viability of future Leinster fixtures, but the province will continue preparations for the remainder of the season until health authorities intervene, according to manager Leo Cullen.
The outbreak of the new strain of coronavirus – Classified as COVID-19 – has led to the postponement of several sporting events around the world, including Ireland’s upcoming Six Nations clash with Italy, and has led to Leinster boss Leo Cullen admitting that the situation has spawned many questions concerning his side’s arrangement for the rest of the season.
‘It creates a bit of uncertainty,’ the Wicklow man told members of the media last week, ahead of Leinster’s Guinness Pro14 meeting with Glasgow Warriors on Friday. ‘And uncertainty creates a lot of questions. And you’re asking me questions I don’t know the answer to. So, that what it creates.
‘We’ll just go with whatever the authorities tell us to do. At the moment, the South African trip is in the distance.’
Leinster now have a threeweek break before traveling to South Africa to face the Cheetahs. For Cullen’s men — who currently sit top of pool A, comfortably ahead of Ulster in second-place — all they can do is focus on what lies directly ahead of them, and allow off-field circumstances to fall where they may.
‘For us, it’s the here and the now,’ continued Cullen. ‘We’ve no game next week so we take a bit of a break next week. We can re-assess and make a plan for what’s best going forward. We’ve a training week after that and then we’re due to leave for South Africa on the day Ireland are due to play France.
‘Even in the game, you get all these little distractions. So, there’s this big-piece distraction which we’ve no control over whatsoever.’