Leinster head coach Leo Cullen has confirmed that utility back Jamie Osborne is fit and available for selection ahead of Saturday’s Vodacom URC round 3 clash against the Sharks at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
The news comes as a timely boost for the Irish giants after a bruising two-week tour of South Africa, where they suffered back-to-back defeats – a 36-0 shutout against the Stormers in Cape Town and a 39-31 loss to the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld.
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Cullen confirmed that Osborne, who sat out the tour with a minor hamstring issue, has returned to full training and is likely to feature this weekend.
“Jamie is back training fully again after recovering from his hamstring issue and is available for selection,” Cullen said on Monday.
However, there was no fresh news on a host of key names still sidelined. Jordan Larmour, Cormac Foley, Caelan Doris, Joe McCarthy and Hugo Keenan all remain under medical assessment, with Cullen opting not to provide return dates.
“There are no further updates on those lads at this stage,” the Leinster boss added.
Leinster will be desperate to reset their campaign after a winless start to the season – a rare position for the perennial URC contenders – while the Sharks head to Dublin seeking their first victory after a defeat against Glasgow and a draw with the Dragons.
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Photo: Shaun Roy/Sportsfile via Getty Images
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