MUNSTER’S TOM AHERN has been ruled out of Ireland’s pre-Six Nations training camp in Portugal due to injury, with Connacht back row Cian Prendergast travelling with Andy Farrell’s squad in his place.
23-year-old lock/blindside flanker Ahern wasn’t named in the 34-man Six Nations squad but was included as one of three additional uncapped players to join the group for their training camp in Faro, which gets underway tomorrow.
However, Ahern suffered a head injury last weekend in an incident that saw Northampton hooker Curtis Langdon red-carded in their Champions Cup clash at Thomond Park.
That injury means Ahern won’t be able to link up with Ireland and Farrell has called 23-year-old Prendergast into the group instead.
It means that Prendergast will join his 20-year-old brother Sam as one of the three additional players in Portugal. The brothers have yet to play alongside each other but this opportunity to be part of the same Ireland senior training camp will surely be special.
Connacht man Prendergast has already won three caps for Ireland and was close to making the World Cup squad last year, but was absent from Farrell’s 34-man Six Nations squad.
Prendergast will now get the chance to impress Farrell in training as they head to Portugal to continue their preparations for their Six Nations opener against France in Marseille on Friday week.
There was injury concern for new Ireland captain Peter O’Mahony after he was replaced in Munster’s defeat to Northampton but he reported yesterday that he expects to be fully fit for the France game.
Leinster out-halves Harry Byrne and Ciarán Frawley, who have both picked up injuries recently, are also available to travel to Portugal.
Ireland’s 2024 Six Nations squad:
Loosehead props: Andrew Porter, Cian Healy, Jeremy Loughman
Hookers: Dan Sheehan, Rónan Kelleher, Tom Stewart
Tighthead props: Tadhg Furlong, Finlay Bealham, Tom O’Toole
Locks: James Ryan, Iain Henderson, Tadhg Beirne, Joe McCarthy
Back rows: Peter O’Mahony (captain), Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris, Jack Conan, Ryan Baird, Nick Timoney
Scrum-halves: Jamison Gibson-Park, Conor Murray, Craig Casey
Out-halves: Jack Crowley, Harry Byrne, Ciarán Frawley
Centres: Bundee Aki, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, Stuart McCloskey
Back threes: James Lowe, Hugo Keenan, Calvin Nash, Jordan Larmour, Jacob Stockdale.
Additional players: Oli Jager, Cian Prendergast, Sam Prendergast.
