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Off The Ball

Wallabies unhappy about broken Genia arm but Schmidt positive on Irish injuries

Andrew Conway, Dan Leavy and Cian Healy all went off injured for Ireland.

Murray Kinsella reports from AAMI Park

JOE SCHMIDT DELIVERED a positive injury update on Andrew Conway, Dan Leavy and Cian Healy after all three left the pitch injured during Ireland’s 26-21 win over the Wallabies in Melbourne.

The Wallabies, on the other hand, have lost Will Genia to a broken arm and their head coach, Michael Cheika, indicated that they were unhappy with how the injury had occurred.

Cian Healy leaves the field with an injury Cian Healy went off injured in the second half. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

Cian Healy made contact with Genia off the ball in the 25th minute and though the Wallabies say they won’t be reporting the incident to the citing commissioner, New Zealander Michael O’Leary, they were clearly not happy with it.

“Well, we ran the play down the front and Willy [Genia]’s the decoy around the back and he got king hit [blindsided] from the side – looked like a shoulder – and when you’re not expecting it, that’s what happens,” said Cheika.

“So Hoops [Michael Hooper] went down the front, Willy ran around the back – I’m not sure who it was from the other team that came in and hit him – and he jammed his arm and broke it.”

Genia will undergo surgery on his arm tomorrow and Cheika also confirmed that second row Adam Coleman had suffered a blow to the face and his involvement in next weekend’s final Test in Sydney is also in doubt.

“Coleman has got a very nice golf ball on the side of his face,” said Cheika.

“We will get him off for some scans and check to see, and we have to do that pretty soon because sometimes if that’s a cheekbone or eye socket he can’t fly, so we’ll just have to check and see where he’s at.”

Ireland’s two-try performance saw them level the series going into next weekend’s final Test in Sydney although victory came at a cost as Schmidt lost three starters to injury in Healy, Conway and Leavy.

Andrew Conway scores his sides first try despite the efforts of Dane Haylett-Petty Conway scored a try before going off injured. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

Conway departed in the 15th minute, Leavy lasted until half-time and Healy was replaced by Jack McGrath in the second half.

Speaking at AAMI Park after Ireland’s first win on Australian soil in 39 years, Schmidt was optimistic about their potential involvement in the series decider – although Healy may have a second concern with a possible citing.

“Andrew, I’d say he could train fully on Tuesday,” said Schmidt. “He got a hip pointer, just that bruise that’s debilitating at the time but I think over the next 48 hours that will wear itself through and I’d be really confident with Andrew Conway.

“Cian just got a smack on the AC, which again is temporarily debilitating but he could well still be okay.

“Dan got a whack right on the sternum, which again is very uncomfortable but he could have potentially played on and I thought Jordi Murphy came on and did a really good job in his place.

“There were a few other guys we changed with cramp toward the end and that’s probably reflective of the ball-in-play time. There wasn’t a lot of kicking and there was a lot of chasing people around and that made it a real challenge.

“Towards the end there, we had Joey Carbery coming on to replace Devin Toner. I haven’t seen that too many times, luckily we didn’t have to throw him up in the lineout.”

- This article was updated at 4.02pm to change ‘hit’ to ‘made contact with’. 

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