Ireland hit by injury blows ahead of Six Nations clash with Wales

Ireland’s preparations for their Six Nations encounter against Wales have been dealt a blow as several key players have been ruled out due to injuries.

Captain Caelan Doris, along with hooker Rónan Kelleher and prop Tadhg Furlong, will miss the match in Cardiff.

Doris suffered a knee injury in Ireland’s recent victory over Scotland, ending his streak of 42 consecutive Test appearances since the 2021 Six Nations. Kelleher is sidelined with a neck injury, while Furlong remains unavailable due to a calf issue that has kept him out of the tournament so far.

To compensate for these absences, interim head coach Simon Easterby has expanded the squad with six additional players. Munster’s Gavin Coombes and John Hodnett, Leinster’s Diarmuid Mangan, and Ulster’s Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale, and Nick Timoney have been called up to strengthen the team ahead of the crucial fixture.

Despite the challenges, Ireland’s attack coach Andrew Goodman remains optimistic about the trio’s return for the upcoming match against France.

"We’re hoping they’ll be available for France. They’re just going through their processes with the physios, but they’re all making good progress," he stated.

With Doris unavailable, Ireland will need a new captain for the clash against Wales. However, Goodman is confident in the leadership depth within the squad.

"There's some good leaders in the squad. The leadership group's been growing well over the past couple of years, and there's a number of players who have captained their provinces, so we have some good options there," he explained.

Ireland currently lead the Six Nations table after securing back-to-back bonus-point wins.

A positive development for the squad is the return to training of winger Mack Hansen and lock Joe McCarthy, both of whom were recovering from injuries. Their potential availability could provide a much-needed boost to the team.