IRELAND EXPECT TO have a full-strength panel to choose from for Saturday’s Six Nations finale against England.
Rory Best, Sean O’Brien and Donnacha Ryan will have their training schedules curtailed this week as they recover from slight knocks, but team manager Michael Kearney is “very hopeful” that all three will be fit in time for the trip to Twickenham.
Best, who captained the side and scored the opening try in the 32-14 win against Scotland, bruised his ribs while Ryan took a bang to his left shoulder.
O’Brien missed Saturday’s game after a skin infection on his foot failed to clear, but the back-row was released from hospital over the weekend and was due to take part in this afternoon’s light training session in Maynooth.
“There’s a number of bumps and bruises for I don’t know how many players,” Kearney said. “They’re all probably a little bit sore I think, so there’ll be a fairly light run-out this afternoon and we’ll just build it up then over the rest of the week.
“We expect everybody apart from the three we named to take a full part and then Donnacha, Sean and Rory will be a little bit more curtailed. We expect them all to be available for selection.”
