Ulster’s John Cooney in Six Nations boost
Ulster scrumhalf John Cooney will be keen for a back issue to clear up as quickly as possible after his Ireland Six Nations hopes were boosted following an injury to Leinster’s Luke McGrath.
McGrath has been ruled out for eight weeks having suffered a knee ligament injury during Leinster’s European Champions Cup pool tie win over Toulouse last Saturday.
That has ruled him out of the Six Nations Championship which Ireland begin the defence of against England on February 2 in Dublin.
McGrath and Cooney had been locked in a battle to be third choice, with both getting game time during the November Test series behind Connacht’s Kieran Marmion while Munster’s Conor Murray was out injured.
McGrath featured in all four of the autumn internationals, making three appearances from the bench.
Marmion is also nursing an injury presently, but so is Cooney.
The Ulster nine was withdrawn on Saturday morning from the Province’s Heineken Champions Cup match against Racing 92 having suffered a back spasm at training and failing a late fitness test.
He is hoping to get the all clear to face Leicester Tigers this weekend in a crunch game for Ulster that could see them progress to the last eight in Europe for the first time since 2014.