Ireland squad announcement boost as Leinster issue ‘training exposure’ update on long-term injured duo
Hugo Keenan, the British and Irish Lions try-scoring hero, has given Ireland boss Andy Farrell, inset, a pre-Six Nations boost
Andy Farrell has received a partial boost ahead of Wednesday’s Ireland Six Nations squad announcement as Leinster have confirmed that Hugo Keenan and Jamie Osborne are stepping up training this week following his long-term lay-off.
The scorer of the last-ditch try in Melbourne that clinched Test series victory for Farrell’s British and Irish Lions last July, Keenan has been sidelined since an operation on his hip following his return to Dublin after the tour.
It was mid-September when Leinster boss Leo Cullen revealed that the full-back needed surgery and his place in the Ireland team for the Autumn Nations Series initially went to Osborne for the November matches against New Zealand and Japan.
Osborne, though, hurt his shoulder in that fixture against the Japanese and it resulted in Mack Hansen, someone more renowned as a winger, stepping in at No.15 against Australia and South Africa. Hansen scored a try hat-trick against the Wallabies but has since had an operation on a foot injury he originally sustained on the Lions tour.
Statement
This injury profile left Ireland looking light on full-back options with the countdown on for the February 5 start to the Six Nations away to France.
However, the update issued on Monday by Leinster has given optimism that Keenan and Osborne could return to the international mix, even though they are unavailable for selection for their club’s United Rugby Championship match away to Connacht next Saturday.
There was also a positive update provided on Jack Conan, but Farrell could have issues at loosehead as the Leinster bulletin said there was no update on the injuries that left them without Andrew Porter and Paddy McCarthy in recent matches.
Porter sustained a calf strain at training on January 8 while McCarthy was withdrawn two days later during the Investec Champions Cup win over La Rochelle with a foot injury.
A Leinster statement read: “Ciarán Frawley and Jack Conan are due to return to training this week and will be available for selection ahead of this Saturday’s trip to Galway.
“Jimmy O’Brien (hamstring), Robbie Henshaw (knee), Tommy O’Brien (calf) and Tadhg Furlong (calf) are all due to be further assessed and a final decision on their availability will be made later in the week.
“Meanwhile, Hugo Keenan and Jamie Osborne are both increasing their on-field training exposure as they continue their recoveries from long-term injuries, although they will not be available for selection this week.
“There are no further updates on Ryan Baird, Jordan Larmour, Paddy McCarthy, Andrew Porter and Rabah Slimani.”
After naming his squad on Wednesday, Farrell is scheduled to appear at next Monday’s Six Nations media day in Edinburgh before taking his players to Portugal for warm-weather training ahead of their opener away to the French.
