Rieko Ioane could make Leinster debut as Lions giant returns

Leo Cullen could hand Rieko Ioane his Leinster debut in this weekend’s Investec Champions Cup opener against Harlequins at the Aviva Stadium, with the All Blacks star cleared to train fully after arriving in Dublin last Wednesday.

The 28-year-old is expected to take a full part in preparation this week. Crucially, he is available for selection as Leinster begin their European campaign on Saturday evening against the Gallagher PREM outfit.

Leinster’s capture of the storied Blues’ centre/wing was hailed as a major coup when it was first revealed, arriving after Jordie Barrett’s departure left a sizeable void.

Barrett’s short stint had a transformative impact last season, and Ioane’s arrival is viewed as the statement replacement, reinforcing Leinster’s backline firepower as their hunt for European silverware resumes.

Indeed, teammate Barrett’s experiences helped seal the move for Ioane. “When I told him [Jordue Barrett] that Leinster could be a possible destination for myself, he had nothing but fond memories of his time here,” Ioane said. “He loved his time here, partly because there was so much golf going on.

“He didn’t have one bad thing to say about this environment or the people here, so after hearing that, I was pretty keen to come over and to experience that as well.”

The 6’2, 103kg Ioane will be looking to added the considerable clout that 88 caps of All Blacks experience implies.

The province also confirmed a timely boost with the return of two Ireland internationals.

Lock Joe McCarthy is available again after recovering from a foot injury, while Tommy O’Brien has completed the Graduated Return to Play protocols and is expected to train fully.

Lions star McCarthy missed the start of the Leinster season as well as the entirety of the Quilter Nations Series for Ireland. His absence was keenly felt, both by Leo Cullen and Ireland head coach Andy Farrell.

However, the update wasn’t all positive.

Loosehead Andrew Porter, winger James Lowe and centre Robbie Henshaw all require further assessment before any decision is made later in the week.

Porter is managing an arm issue, Lowe a calf complaint and Henshaw a hamstring problem.

There were no further updates on Cormac Foley, Hugo Keenan, Will Connors, James Culhane, Jamie Osborne or Ryan Baird ahead of Saturday’s 5.30pm kick-off.