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Leinster face back-row crisis as Jack Conan adds shoulder injury to Doris absence

Leinster have confirmed Jack Conan sustained a shoulder injury scoring a try in their 48-23 Champions Cup win over Clermont, leaving the province and Ireland coach Andy Farrell short of options at No.8 with Caelan Doris already sidelined long-term.

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Leinster face back-row crisis as Jack Conan adds shoulder injury to Doris absence
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Leinster are facing a mounting back-row injury crisis after confirming that Jack Conan sustained a shoulder injury during their 48-23 Investec Champions Cup Round 1 victory over Clermont ASM at Stade Marcel-Michelin, adding to the long-term absence of Caelan Doris. The province said further assessment is required before a timeframe can be established.

The injury arrived in bittersweet fashion. Conan, 33, had powered through two French defenders just after a restart to score a momentum-shifting second-half try that effectively ended any hope of a Clermont comeback — only to leave the field with the shoulder problem shortly afterwards.

The timing is particularly damaging for both Leinster and Ireland. With Doris already ruled out with a foot and knee issue, Conan had emerged as the primary candidate to carry the No.8 workload through a demanding run of domestic and European fixtures. Head coach Leo Cullen and Ireland boss Andy Farrell now face a significant gap to fill in one of the most physically demanding positions on the pitch.

In their squad update, Leinster confirmed Conan’s status in their own words: “Jack Conan sustained a shoulder injury in the EPCR game v Clermont Auvergne and will require further assessment.”

The injury bulletin extended beyond Conan. Jordan Larmour will also require further assessment on a calf issue, while Hugh Cooney suffered a hand injury and Andrew Osborne sustained a head injury, both in the A team fixture against Edinburgh. Leinster provided no fresh update on Harry Byrne (concussion), Jack Boyle (Achilles), RG Snyman (knee), Caelan Doris (foot and knee), Paddy McCarthy (foot), or Diarmaid Mangan (foot).

Despite the injury concerns, the result itself represented a strong European statement from Leinster. They trailed 16-15 at half-time before scoring 33 unanswered second-half points to claim a bonus-point win on French soil.

Leinster’s next fixture is a URC derby against Munster at the Aviva Stadium.

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