CONNACHT TIGHTHEAD PROP Finlay Bealham will be sidelined for “a couple of weeks” ahead of the start of Ireland’s Six Nations campaign, according to the province.
The experienced Bealham, who has been vying with Thomas Clarkson for Ireland’s back-up tighthead spot behind Tadhg Furlong, suffered a knee injury in his side’s recent URC clash with Leinster.
Bealham will be sidelined for his province’s Challenge Cup clash with Montauban this weekend and also looks set to miss the home meeting with Leinster in the URC on 24 January, but he will hope to be fit for the start of Ireland’s Six Nations campaign in just over three weeks.
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell has already lost key men in the front row, with first- and second-choice looseheads Andrew Porter and Paddy McCarthy set to miss the opener against France in Paris. Porter is sidelined with a calf injury, while McCarthy is dealing with a foot issue.
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Tighthead prop Furlong is in line to return from a head injury this weekend when Leinster face Bayonne in the Champions Cup, while Ireland outside centre Garry Ringrose and fullback Jimmy O’Brien are also in line for comebacks in that game.
O’Brien’s return to availability is timely because Leinster are currently without Hugo Keenan, Jamie Osborne, Ciarán Frawley, and Jordan Larmour in their back three.
Meanwhile, Connacht have confirmed bad injury news for centre Hugh Gavin and wing Shayne Bolton, both of whom were capped by Ireland last summer.
Gavin has undergone surgery on a shoulder injury and will be out for three months, while Bolton will be out of action until April due to a quad issue. Out-half Josh Ioane will miss this weekend’s game with a head injury.
However, scrum-half Caolin Blade – who was part of Ireland’s squad in November – is due to return to training later this week after an Achilles injury, meaning he could make his comeback against Leinster on 24 January.
Blade will be hoping to get the call-up from Farrell again for the Six Nations, with Craig Casey having suffered an injury while playing for Munster last weekend. Munster are expected to issue an update on Casey today.
Blade’s fellow Connacht scrum-half, Colm Reilly, is also targeting availability for the Leinster game as he gets into the final stages of rehabilitating a hamstring injury.
In a more immediate boost for Connacht, Jack Aungier [elbow], Jack Carty [ribs], Matthew Devine [head], Dave Heffernan [calf], and Seán Naughton [ankle] have all overcome their injuries and are available for the Montauban game this weekend.
Mack Hansen, Temi Lasisi, Oisín Dowling, Shamus Hurley-Langton, and Byron Ralston all remain on the injury list.
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Bealham to miss 'a couple of weeks' ahead of Six Nations
CONNACHT TIGHTHEAD PROP Finlay Bealham will be sidelined for “a couple of weeks” ahead of the start of Ireland’s Six Nations campaign, according to the province.
The experienced Bealham, who has been vying with Thomas Clarkson for Ireland’s back-up tighthead spot behind Tadhg Furlong, suffered a knee injury in his side’s recent URC clash with Leinster.
Bealham will be sidelined for his province’s Challenge Cup clash with Montauban this weekend and also looks set to miss the home meeting with Leinster in the URC on 24 January, but he will hope to be fit for the start of Ireland’s Six Nations campaign in just over three weeks.
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell has already lost key men in the front row, with first- and second-choice looseheads Andrew Porter and Paddy McCarthy set to miss the opener against France in Paris. Porter is sidelined with a calf injury, while McCarthy is dealing with a foot issue.
Tighthead prop Furlong is in line to return from a head injury this weekend when Leinster face Bayonne in the Champions Cup, while Ireland outside centre Garry Ringrose and fullback Jimmy O’Brien are also in line for comebacks in that game.
O’Brien’s return to availability is timely because Leinster are currently without Hugo Keenan, Jamie Osborne, Ciarán Frawley, and Jordan Larmour in their back three.
Meanwhile, Connacht have confirmed bad injury news for centre Hugh Gavin and wing Shayne Bolton, both of whom were capped by Ireland last summer.
Gavin has undergone surgery on a shoulder injury and will be out for three months, while Bolton will be out of action until April due to a quad issue. Out-half Josh Ioane will miss this weekend’s game with a head injury.
However, scrum-half Caolin Blade – who was part of Ireland’s squad in November – is due to return to training later this week after an Achilles injury, meaning he could make his comeback against Leinster on 24 January.
Blade will be hoping to get the call-up from Farrell again for the Six Nations, with Craig Casey having suffered an injury while playing for Munster last weekend. Munster are expected to issue an update on Casey today.
Blade’s fellow Connacht scrum-half, Colm Reilly, is also targeting availability for the Leinster game as he gets into the final stages of rehabilitating a hamstring injury.
In a more immediate boost for Connacht, Jack Aungier [elbow], Jack Carty [ribs], Matthew Devine [head], Dave Heffernan [calf], and Seán Naughton [ankle] have all overcome their injuries and are available for the Montauban game this weekend.
Mack Hansen, Temi Lasisi, Oisín Dowling, Shamus Hurley-Langton, and Byron Ralston all remain on the injury list.
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bealham Six Nations Connacht Injury List Ireland