CHRIS OF LIFE

Ireland turn to Farrell as the injuries mount

MUNSTER’S Chris Farrell is in pole position to start at centre in Ireland’s Six Nations clash against Wales after Robbie Henshaw was ruled out for the remainder of the tournament.

Henshaw landed heavily on his arm while scoring a second-half try in Saturday’s 56-19 defeat of Italy, and the IRFU have confirmed that, after undergoing a procedure on his shoulder yesterday morning, the Leinster centre will play no further part in the championship, although they didn’t clarify the exact nature of the injury.

With Leinster also confirming that Garry Ringrose remains unavailable for selection as he recovers from an ankle problem, twice-capped Munster centre Farrell now looks set for a Six Nations debut against Wales.

Speaking ahead of Leinster’s Pro14 clash with Scarlets on Saturday, senior coach Stuart Lancaster admitted that a return for the February 24 visit of Wales seems unlikely for Ringrose, indicating that the Blues’ home fixture against the

Southern Kings the evening before looks a more realistic target. Ringrose didn’t play any rugby this season until December due to a shoulder operation, and was only beginning to find some form when struck down with an ankle injury in early January. And Lancaster explained that jumping straight into a Six Nations game after such a lengthy lay-off may be a step too far for the 23-yearold. ‘It depends on the player, depends on how long they’ve been out. It’s not impossible, but it’s a step,’ he said. ‘If he’s come through today [Monday] there’s been no reaction, he could train with our team on Thursday. It would be too close for him to play Saturday. Then the following week, we’ll see how he goes.’ There was better news for the Ireland head coach as it was confirmed that both Tadhg Furlong and Jack Conan are expected to be fit for the visit of Wales on February 24. Furlong limped off in the opening five minutes against Italy with a minor hamstring injury, but after receiving a scan the 25-year-old is not deemed to be a concern for the round three clash. Conan, who was withdrawn at halftime with what was described as a ‘bang on the shoulder’, is also set to be available for Schmidt. It remains unclear whether Sean O’Brien will play any part in the Six Nations.