ANXIOUS WAIT OVER KNOCKS
JOE SCHMIDT hopes that hamstring victim Tadhg Furlong could face Wales in a fortnight - but concedes that Robbie Henshaw’s shoulder injury could end his 6 Nations.
The Ireland boss faces an anxious wait - and may be about to find out how robust the depth in his squad is - particularly if, as feared, Henshaw has suffered a dislocation.
Bundee Aki and Chris Farrell, who played together for the first time against Argentina in November, could now be the centre partnership against Wales in the absence of Henshaw and Garry Ringrose, who is nearing a return to action.
Furlong would be a big loss too, given his reputation as one of the most feared props in world rugby.
“With Robbie, we’ll know post the scan tomorrow, we’ve booked that in,” said Schmidt. “He looked in a fair bit of discomfort coming off.
“Tadhg he felt a tightening on deceleration, for a tighthead prop he probably just moves more quickly than he should!
“We’ll check him out tomorrow and that will give us a better picture.”
Asked if there was a possibility Ringrose could return for Wales, Schmidt said: “Garry’s making really good progress, next weekend might be just too far away, it could be the weekend after.
“For him to come straight back in against Wales would be a tough call, but one we’re happy to make given his contributions.”
On a positive note, Sean O’brien is “trucking along,” said the head coach, and could feature against the Welsh.
Jack Conan came off at half-time after a good shift at no 8 on his 6 Nations debut, but Schmidt said a “dunt” on Conan’s shoulder should recover quickly.
Schmidt assessed where Ireland are after two opening wins, including a bonus point against Italy. “I’d have bitten your arm off,” he admitted.