Mack Hansen was forced off injured.

Ireland's Hansen re-injures foot as Baird suffers leg fracture

Ireland boss Andy Farrell said both men were hurt against the Springboks.

IRELAND INTERNATIONALS MACK Hansen and Ryan Baird are facing the prospect of spells on the sidelines after being injured during Saturday’s defeat to South Africa in Dublin.

Connacht man Hansen suffered another recurrence of a foot injury against the Springboks and limped off with 15 minutes of the game left.

Hansen initially suffered the foot injury during last summer’s Lions tour and missed all three Tests against the Wallabies as a result. He made his return for Connacht in October but suffered the first recurrence of the injury then.

Hansen recovered to start at fullback for Ireland against Australia two weekends ago, scoring a hat-trick on his first outing in that position at Test level, but Andy Farrell revealed that the 27-year-old suffered another foot injury during the defeat to the Boks.

mack-hansen-dejected-after-the-match Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

“Mack has injured his foot again, so that’s a little bit ongoing, so we’ll see how that turns up tomorrow,” said Farrell on Saturday evening.

Blindside flanker Baird seemingly suffered a fracture in his lower left leg, which meant he limped off with 20 minutes left against the Springboks.

Baird enjoyed a prominent role in Ireland’s autumn campaign, starting all four games at blindside flanker, but he is now facing a period of rehabilitation in a blow for Leinster.

“Ryan Baird, I believe, has fractured his tibia,” said Farrell.

“He tried to carry on within all that as well, so some courage being shown there.”

ryan-baird-dejected-after-the-match Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

It’s now 10 weeks until Ireland’s Six Nations opener away to France on Thursday 5 February, so Farrell will be watching the four Irish provinces’ performances in the URC and Champions Cup closely as he ponders his squad selection. 

Hugo Keenan and Joe McCarthy, who missed the entire autumn campaign due to injuries, hope to return before the Six Nations, while Farrell will be looking forward to seeing uncapped Munster duo Edwin Edogbo and Brian Gleeson recover from the injuries that meant they couldn’t link up with the Ireland squad this month.

Farrell mentioned Ulster blindside flanker Cormac Izuchukwu as another man whose presence was missed due to injury, while Munster wing Calvin Nash was also ruled out of the campaign after being injured.

“There’s going to be more experience that has to be given to certain people if they show good form in the next nine weeks, so it’s staying across all that,” said Farrell.

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