Jarvis ready to step into the breach if Mackay ruled out

The Australian international fly-half is struggling with a chest injury and new signing Adrian Jarvis has been put on standby.

Mackay has been instrumental in Leeds’s recent revival, helping the club string together some improved results and performances following their early-season struggles.

Despite their mini resurgence – which includes a belated maiden Premiership win over Gloucester and three European Challenge Cup wins over Crociati Rugby, twice, and Bucharest Oaks – they still find themselves at the bottom of the table, four points adrift of Newcastle.

Director of rugby Andy Key said: “We hope Lachlan Mackay will be fit for the weekend.

“He took a big knock to his chest and, as a result, has badly bruised a part of the bone.

“He’s been doing the right things over the last 48 hours, and he started running again (yesterday).

“We hope by Thursday we’ll get a positive ‘yes’ or ‘no’ as to whether he’s available.

“The way Lachlan has been performing in the team, it’s important we do everything we can to get him involved. If not, we know we can cope with that.

“Adrian Jarvis has come in and found his feet very quickly. He’s training well and has come in to put pressure on the guys and compete for a place.

“If Adrian is needed, he will be there to do a job.”

With Mackay struggling, attention has turned to Jarvis, an experienced fly-half who has signed from Bristol until the end of the season in the hope of securing a longer deal.

Jarvis’s last competitive match was at struggling Birmingham and Solihull in the Championship, yet he is on the brink of facing one of the heavyweights of modern English rugby in Leicester.

Despite their loss of key internationals such as Ben Youngs and Toby Flood to Six Nations duty, Leicester remain a formidable outfit. It would represent a considerable step up in class for Jarvis, who offers more kicking variety and accuracy from the No 10 shirt than Mackay is renowned for.

The former Harlequin said: “I have been kicking well out of hand and have good distribution and am clear about what sort of role I need to take on.

“At the age of 27, I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to get back in the Premiership.

“I know Alfie To’oala and Andy Titterell from Leeds Carnegie and all the lads have been really good to me. I have been surprised at how much positivity there is around the camp; it’s been really refreshing.”

Doncaster were thrashed 40-15 by Nottingham in The Championship last night.