Ryan Baird has been ruled out of Ireland’s game against Fiji at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, but props Tadhg Furlong and Tom O’Toole could line out for Ireland’s third Autumn Nations Series match.
Furlong missed the opening two rounds of the series with a hamstring issue but was able to train fully with the squad on Tuesday in Dublin, while O’Toole has come through 12-day return to play protocols after suffering a concussion just minutes after replacing Finlay Bealham in the defeat to New Zealand.
Baird is going through return to play protocols after picking up a head injury shortly after coming on as a second-half replacement in Ireland’s 22-19 win against Argentina. It is the backrow’s second concussion this season.
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Scrum coach John Fogarty said: “Ryan is out, yeah. And the two boys are back in, they trained today. Hopefully they will get through the week.”
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Fogarty added that Furlong is anxious to get some competitive rugby under his belt with Australia also in Ireland’s sights for the final match after the Fijians.
“Good, good. Full of energy. So, yeah, he [Furlong] got through the session today and he will be assessed as we go along,” said Fogarty.
“I’d say bullish, he’s eager to get back and excited to be in and around the team again. It’s lonely when you’re outside of that. He’s excited to be in and around the team, and we are excited as well.”
Fogarty insisted Furlong was not ready to compete last week against Argentina and in keeping with the team thinking, they decided not to take any risk.
“They won’t mess about with the players. He’s back on time. He’s ready to go,” said Fogarty. “If he was back last week and ready to go, he would have been up for selection and then the coaches will decide. He is back in training, and he has got through that session today.”
Fogarty was also pleased with Thomas Clarkson receiving his first cap last week as Cian Healy equalled Brian O’Driscoll’s 133 Ireland cap record. Clarkson was part of an emerging Ireland tour several years ago and to punch through bodes well for the future
“I was delighted. We went on an EI [Emerging Ireland] tour a couple of years ago, he is a great character,” said Fogarty. “He does a few things really well at scrum time. He came in as a guy who we were looking at for the future and circumstances allowed him to go on to the field last.
“It was amazing, Cian getting 133 [caps] and Tom getting one. It was an incredibly exciting week to be a scrum coach and watch both those things happen. Tom did a good job. He will certainly take his learnings. It’s always exciting when you get another Irish tighthead on to the field.
“Hopefully he will take everything he has learned and push on. I’ve said it before, that’s what we need. We want every frontrower to step up. And Tom has stepped up in this camp and I’m delighted he got capped.”
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