Leinster head coach Leo Cullen says the out-half is recovering well from a head injury that has ruled him out for Saturday's visit of Munster, and insists the player won’t be rushed back to action.
The 35-year-old continues his return to play protocols after failing a HIA in the Champions Cup quarter-final victory over Exeter Chiefs, and will be unavailable for the Guinness Pro14 Rainbow Cup derby clash with Munster this weekend (Saturday, 7.35pm).
Cullen will hope to have the Ireland international available for the following weekend’s Champions Cup semi-final with La Rochelle, but insists the player will be afforded every opportunity to recover.
With Caelan Doris and James Ryan also missing game time this season with head injuries (both are hoping to be available for Saturday), the Leinster head coach says player welfare in the number one priority.
"Johnny is okay," he told RTÉ Sport’s Michael Corcoran. "It’s making sure we take as good a care as possible, of all the guys. It’s something we take very seriously.
"Caelan reported some symptoms before the Six Nations began and we have been very, very cautious on his return to play. He’s trained over the past number of weeks and is in pretty good shape now. Similar with James, though his [injury] was towards the end of the Six Nations in his case.
"Johnny will be the same. We will do what is best by him, making sure there is no short-term approach, it’s when guys are right."
With the semi-final next week, lots of guys want to put their hand up
Cullen admits the structure of this season due to the pandemic, and now the inaugural Rainbow Cup has given the season an "unusual" feeling, but the visit of a Munster team hoping to arrest a poor run of results against their biggest rivals will focus the mind, especially with La Rochelle looming on the horizon.
"With the semi-final next week, lots of guys want to put their hand up."
With regards to the competition itself, Cullen, speaking before doubts emerged about their involvement, expressed the hope that the inclusion of the four South African former Super Rugby franchises – the Bulls, Lions, Sharks and Stormers - would ignite interest and prove beneficial.
"It’s a hugely exciting prospect, particularly long-term. The quality of those teams. They are four of the best teams that there has been.
"For those that can remember watching Super Rugby of the Blue Bulls in the dominance they had, the Stormers...I remember as a youngster watching the Sharks play and the quality they had.
"They are four massive teams. We will see how it plays out. There are complications obviously still with Covid, but you can understand the logic."
