As double blows come, this would be a big one.
There is a current EPCR rule that prevents teams playing more than two Australians and New Zealanders in the Champions Cup.
There are a couple of stipulations and end runs that clubs utilise to get their Kiwis and Aussies out on the park. Unfortunately for Leinster, they have exhausted such avenues and they have a 3-int0-2 situation.
For European games, since the arrival of James Lowe, they can only player the New Zealand Maori winger and then choose between Jamison Gibson-Park and Scott Fardy. Earlier this season, it was Fardy and Gibson Park. For January’s visit of Montpellier to Dublin, it was Lowe and Fardy.
3 into 2 and that’s Leinster’s lot until September 2019 [the start of next season] when Gibson-Park becomes Irish qualified. Leinster were aware of this when they signed Lowe but they had Luke McGrath as their starting scrum-half.
That could all change going into the final three months of the season after McGrath hobbled out of Leinster’s Guinness PRO14 victory over Scarlets. An anterior cruciate ligament [ACL] injury was ruled out, post-match, but McGrath is set to be sidelined for a while.
That means, in all likelihood, Gibson-Park will be Leinster’s starting scrum-half. Nick McCarthy is Leinster’s third option but it would be some leap of selectorial faith to pitch him in from the start, against Saracens, were McGrath not fit in time for the province’s April 1 Champions Cup game.
That leaves Leo Cullen and Stuart Lancaster with a big decision to make – Fardy or Lowe?
Asked about the current situation, Lowe remarked that a campaign should be started to try and get the powers that be to change their stance. He told reporters:
“Sucks eh?! They need to change the rule.”
It sure does.
Lowe has registered five tries, three assists and countless magic moments in his six games for the province while Fardy has been outstanding for the Blues – a Test blindside who has excelled in the second row and provided not only leadership but game-changing moments.
The full extent of McGrath’s injury should become clear in the coming days but Leinster appear to be in a bind. They can retain Lowe and Fardy and place their faith in an up-an-coming No.9 or sideline one of the best foreign signings they have made in recent years.
That campaign to change the rules is suddenly sounding like a great idea.
