Ireland team manager Michael Kearney has said that no players have been ruled out for next Saturday’s 6 Nations showdown with France.
Sean O’Brien, who was due to make his first Test appearance since November 2013 last Saturday, pulled up with a hamstring injury during the warm-up against Italy in Rome. Meanwhile, Rory Best was taken off with a head injury early in the second half and Jamie Heaslip is returning from the shoulder injury that saw him miss out on the Championship opener.
Speaking at the team hotel today, Michael Kearney explained: “Sean did an MRI scan last night which confirmed a hamstring strain on the minor end of the scale. He is feeling good and we are hopeful that he will train with the squad tomorrow.
“He will train with the squad tomorrow and if he comes through that, he will be available for selection. Whether that will happen or not, we will have to wait and see.”
Kearney said that Heaslip has trained well in camp and his provincial colleagues Cian Healy, Eoin Reddan and Dave Kearney, as well as out-half Jonathan Sexton, will also be back in the selection mix.
“Cian Healy trained fully last week, including some scrummaging which he came through very well and he is available for selection. Johnny Sexton is cleared to train fully and again he is available for selection.
“Johnny trained, doing everything for the last couple of weeks since the squad got together. He will train fully today and fully this week. He is fully cleared to train. Jamie Heaslip, Eoin Reddan and Dave Kearney are fully recovered and will train this week.
“Jamie was pretty good last week. I think it was the fact he couldn’t train in the early part of the week – he didn’t do an awful lot on Monday or Tuesday, but trained pretty fully on Thursday. On another day maybe he would have been good to go but as you know with Joe (Schmidt), he does like to have the team training fully from very early in the week. But Jamie is top class and really good to go this week.”
