mobanmarketJOEY CARBERY IS set to lose his race to be fit for Ireland’s Six Nations showdown against France this weekend, with Joe Schmidt calling up Leinster’s Ross Byrne to provide further cover in the out-half department.
Carbery missed Ireland’s win over Italy in round three and despite making progress in his rehabilitation from a hamstring injury, is now ‘unlikely to feature’ against Jacques Brunel’s side at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday [KO 3pm, Virgin Media 1].
Carbery during today’s session at Carton House. Source: Dan Sheridan/INPHO
The Munster out-half trained with the rest of the Ireland squad at Carton House this morning but with Johnny Sexton fully fit for the round four clash, Schmidt won’t push Carbery to return ahead of schedule.
Connacht’s Jack Carty, who made his debut off the bench in Rome, was running in the 10 position during Ireland’s three-day camp in Belfast last week and is in contention for this weekend’s matchday 23 again, while Byrne is back in the mix after being originally left out of Schmidt’s championship squad.
“It might be just a little bit too soon for him,” forwards coach Simon Easterby said of Carbery.
“Not being a medic, I’d say he’s unlikely to feature this week. He’s probably recovered quicker than we expected but if he is 50/50, you wouldn’t play a player.”
Easterby reported that all 37 players named in Ireland’s extended squad for the remaining two rounds of championship action took part in this morning’s session at their Maynooth base.
Among those returning to full fitness are Garry Ringrose, Jordan Larmour, CJ Stander and Tadhg Beirne, but both Dan Leavy [calf] and Robbie Henshaw [dead leg] remain unavailable.
Leavy hasn’t played since Leinster’s Pro14 inter-pro win over Connacht over Christmas while Henshaw sustained the dead leg following the opening weekend defeat to England at the Aviva Stadium.