Leinster head coach Leo Cullen admits he is more hopeful than confident that long-serving Jamie Heaslip will sign a contract extension with the province.
The Ireland vice-captain conceded this week that he has yet to make up his mind on his future when his current deal expires in the summer, telling BT Sport that he is open to a new challenge.
The 32-year-old made his debut in 2005 and has played more than 200 games during the most decorated period in Leinster’s history, winning three European Cups, three Pro12 titles and a European Challenge Cup in that time.
"A player has to assess his options and my agent is out there assessing the options for me and we will lay it all out on the table and make a decision at some stage,” Heaslip said.
“I've travelled a lot in my life. I'm an army brat and we lived abroad plenty.
"If that's the call I have to make, then that's the call I have to make. We're a long, long way from making any sort of decision."
Cullen’s immediate concern is the visit of Northampton to the RDS tonight in the Champions Cup, but was asked whether he is confident that the No 8 will commit his future to the Blues.
“I'm never confident. I'm always apprehensive... I'm hopeful,” he said.
Cullen meanwhile told reporters that he is hopeful Johnny Sexton will return to in the next fortnight after picking up a hamstring injury in Ireland’s defeat to the All Blacks.
“Johnny is making good progress,” he said.
“Johnny’s done a good week out in Santry [Sports Surgery Clkinic], we’l l see how he finishes out next week. At the end we’ll make some assessments and make a plan for the weeks ahead.
“If it’s not next week, we’d be hopeful he’ll play one of those games [over the Christmas period]. We’ll see, I’ll have a more accurate assessment this week.”
Listen to live Champions Cup commentary this weekend: Northampton v Leinster, Friday 1945 on 2fm's Game On, and Wasps v Connacht, RTÉ Radio One's Sunday Sport, from 1300 on LW252 and DAB.
