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Leinster's Dan Leavy is back on the training pitch after remarkable recovery from horror injury
Leinster flanker Dan Leavy has made a welcome return to the training pitch as he steps up his recovery from a horror knee injury. The Ireland international has been sidelined for over a year after sustaining serious knee ligament damage during Leinster’s Champions Cup quarter-final defeat of Ulster in March 2019.
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It was a second injury setback in quick succession for Leavy, who was 24 at the time.
The Leinster academy graduate had only returned from an injury which saw him miss all of Ireland’s 2019 Six Nations campaign.
Leavy was a key member of the Ireland team that enjoyed huge success in 2018, when Joe Schmidt’s squad won the Six Nations and recorded a first series win in Australia for 39 years.
In his 11 international caps to date, Leavy has never been on the losing side.
That same year, Leavy was instrumental as Leinster recorded a Pro14 and Champions Cup double.
Yet a stunning 2018 was followed by a devastating 2019. After missing Ireland’s Six Nations defence with a calf injury, Leavy left the pitch on a stretcher just 11 minutes after being introduced in the second-half of the Champions Cup win against Ulster.
The injury ruled Leavy out for the entire 2019/20 season – including the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
Having damaged his anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments, there were even fears for Leavy’s career.
But Leinster have now issued a positive update on the player, posting a picture of Leavy back on the training pitch with ball in hand.
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Back on the training pitch, ball in hand! 🏉🤩
Great to see you out there today, @DanLeafy94 💪#ReturnToRugby pic.twitter.com/IC4fKJZxSz
— Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) July 30, 2020
Leinster are due to take on Munster at the Aviva Stadium on August 22 when the Guinness Pro14 returns.
The province have been cleared to enter the next phase of their return to rugby, which includes a graduated return to contact training, after the IRFU confirmed that both Leinster and Munster had returned zero positive results from the latest round of Covid-19 testing.
It is still not clear when we can expect to see Leavy back in competitive action, but this latest step is a much-welcome milestone for a player who had been highly influential for both Leinster and Ireland.
Comments on RugbyPass
Bar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
35 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
35 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
35 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
35 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
35 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
35 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
35 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
18 Go to comments