Knock to the ankle for Tadhg in easy win
Furlong wins his 47th cap
WEXFORD’S TADHG Furlong was one of four Ireland players being assessed for injuries yesterday (Monday) after the team recorded its first Six Nations win from three attempts at the expense of lowly Italy.
It was a first start in the competition for the front row from Campile, who missed out on the action in green for the best part of a year as a result of back and calf injuries respectively.
After being eased back as a replacement in losses to Wales and France respectively, Furlong was in the first fifteen on this occasion for his 47th cap and ‘served a reminder of his class’ according to Rúaidhrí O’Connor in his ‘Irish Independent’ match report.
Ireland won 48-10 in Rome, with tries scored by Will Connors (two), Keith Earls, CJ Stander, Hugo Keenan and Garry Ringrose respectively, while Johnny Sexton weighed in with six conversions and two penalties.
Furlong was replaced in the 47th minute by Andrew Porter and, after a full eleven months on the sidelines, his club and country mentors will be hoping that the ankle injury he picked up isn’t particularly serious.
A press release issued by the IRFU yesterday (Monday) confirmed the four players who sustained knocks over the weekend – Furlong, Jordan Larmour (hip), Dave Kilcoyne (HIA) and Rónan Kelleher (ankle) – have continued their recovery under the supervision of the national medical team and will be further assessed later in the week.
The Ireland coaching group will retain a 23-man panel – with Furlong included – for the two-day mini-camp on Thursday and Friday at the IRFU High Performance Centre at the Sport Ireland Campus.
The squad dispersed upon return to the country on Saturday evening following the win over Italy, and the focus switches back to the Guinness PRO14 inter-provincial action this coming weekend.
Thirteen players have returned to their club bubbles to avail of game time in the competition: Leinster quartet Ed Byrne, Ross Byrne, Rhys Ruddock and Josh van der Flier; Connacht trio Bundee Aki, Ultan Dillane and Dave Heffernan; Munster’s Craig Casey, Andrew Conway, Shane Daly and Chris Farrell; and Ulster duo Stuart McCloskey and Tom O’Toole.