Knee issue could end Henshaw’s season

ROBBIE HENSHAW will discover in the coming days if he will be able to play again this season after hurting his knee in the Champions Cup final last Saturday.

The Leinster centre (right), who only recently returned after a shoulder operation in an injury-hit year, has been sent for scans on the injury and has been ruled out of Saturday’s Guinness PRO14 semi-final meeting with Munster at the RDS.

However, although he finished the win over Racing 92, there are fears that the problem could result in him missing Ireland’s tour of Australia next month as well as the PRO14 final, if Leinster make it that far.

Johnny Sexton and Isa Nacewa are also doubts for the weekend’s game. Sexton hurt his groin in Bilbao, Nacewa suffered a calf strain, but the province hope to have them available this weekend.

“To be confirmed,” scrum coach John Fogarty said of Henshaw’s latest injury. “He’ll have to get imaged and they’ll know a lot more after that.

“Even though he’s got an injury and is going to be out at the weekend, he would have enjoyed the weekend.

“They’ll image and assess to see if he can catch some rugby at the end of the season. He looked very stiff and uncomfortable, but again I don’t know the term, the length of time or the grade. It’s pretty early.” Meanwhile, Leinster are on the lookout for a new assistant coach after Girvan Dempsey announced he will leave the province to join Bath as attack coach next season.

The long-serving former Ireland full-back has been backs coach for three seasons under Leo Cullen, but has decided to leave to further his development under Todd Blackadder at the Premiership club who have qualified for next year’s Champions Cup.