Head coach Andy Farrell is hopeful prop Tadhg Furlong will make a swift recovery from the hamstring strain which has ruled him out of Ireland’s Autumn Nations Series opener against New Zealand.
Leinster tighthead Furlong arrived in camp nursing the muscular problem and has fallen short in his fitness battle ahead of Friday’s Dublin showdown with the All Blacks.
Finlay Bealham will deputise for the 31-year-old, while Farrell dismissed concerns about the potential rustiness of his hookers after including Ronan Kelleher and Rob Herring in his 23 in the absence of the sidelined Dan Sheehan.
Our line up for a Friday night showdown in Dublin! ✊#TeamOfUs
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Kelleher has been selected to start just a month since suffering an ankle injury, with Herring providing backup from the bench, having not played this season.
“He had a bit of a hamstring strain coming into camp, we thought it would be something that would progress,” Farrell, whose side also host Argentina, Fiji and Australia this month, said of Furlong.
“He was rehabbing, like a few other lads, but unfortunately it’s just not picked up in time so, rather than push too hard and then him be out for the series, we’ll take our time and hopefully he’s back sooner rather than later.
“He’s had a good week in terms of next steps but obviously there’s a process that he has to go through.”
Asked about Kelleher and Herring, Farrell replied: “Ronan and Rob have done everything since we came into camp so we’re really pleased with them.”
Farrell has made five changes to the team which began the series-levelling 25-24 win over world champions South Africa in July.
Scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park, wing Mack Hansen and full-back Hugo Keenan return after missing the summer tour, with centre Bundee Aki also restored, in addition to Bealham.
Ireland are set to take on the All Blacks for the first time since last year’s 28-24 World Cup quarter-final defeat in Paris.
The hosts’ match day 23 contains 17 players who featured at Stade de France little more than 12 months ago.
Farrell insists his side, who bounced back from that agonising loss by retaining the Guinness Six Nations title and then securing the 1-1 draw against the Springboks, have moved on.
“I don’t see the relevance of the last game (against New Zealand) at all,” he said.
“We didn’t even get a chance to review our last game in South Africa because we were on our holidays, so our main thing was about our last game: what are the areas in which we can improve and that is the main thing that excites us about where our next steps are.
“We got asked straight after the World Cup about the hangover and that subject is in the past now, so we’ve moved on since the quarter-final, that’s for sure.”
Caelan Doris will lead Ireland after being named captain for the November fixtures, with Peter O’Mahony, who initially replaced the retired Johnny Sexton as skipper, on the bench following a hamstring injury.
Our line up for a Friday night showdown in Dublin! ✊#TeamOfUs
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) November 6, 2024
“Peter would be the first one to go up to Caelan and not just congratulate him but help him out as well,” Farrell replied when asked about O’Mahony’s response to losing the captaincy.
“He (Doris) is certainly popular among the group because there’s no ego there whatsoever.
“He is unbelievably diligent in getting his own stuff right. He’s so professional. He’s come on leaps and bounds in the last four years in regards to that, he’s worked it out.
“He’s very comfortable in his own skin. He’s taken it all in his stride and that puts everyone else at ease. He’s thriving in the role now.”
