Ireland Handed Double Injury Boost Ahead Of Scotland Showdown
Ireland Handed Double Injury Boost Ahead Of Scotland Showdown
Ireland's Mack Hansen & Finlay Bealham are set to return for Sunday's Six Nations match vs Scotland, while Tadhg Furlong and Joe McCarthy remain sidelined.
Ireland received a major boost ahead of its Guinness Six Nations Round 2 clash with Scotland, as wing Mack Hansen and tighthead prop Finlay Bealham are on course to be fit for Sunday’s encounter at Murrayfield.
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Both players were injury concerns following last weekend’s 27-21 victory over England in Dublin.
Hansen briefly left the field in the first half for a blood substitution after sustaining a cut to his knee, but he returned to finish the match.
Bealham suffered an ankle injury but has responded well to treatment, with Ireland scrum coach John Fogarty offering an encouraging update.
“They trained just now, and it looks positive for both of them,” Fogarty said Wednesday. “They took part in the full session.”
However, Ireland once again will be without experienced prop Tadhg Furlong and secondrow Joe McCarthy.
Furlong, who missed the England match due to a calf injury, remains sidelined, while McCarthy continues to recover from concussion.
“The trip to Murrayfield is likely to come too soon for them,” Fogarty confirmed, suggesting the Leinster pair will need additional time to return to full fitness.
Despite their absences, Ireland will take confidence from its recent dominance over Scotland, having won the last 10 meetings. The last Scottish victory in the fixture came in 2017, when they edged a 27-22 win at Murrayfield.
Meanwhile, hooker Dan Sheehan is eager to reclaim a starting role after marking his return from injury with a try against England.
The 25-year-old was sidelined for six months after suffering an ACL injury in South Africa last summer but made his comeback for Leinster against the Stormers, before coming off the bench for Rónan Kelleher last weekend.
“Obviously, my ambitions are to get back into a starting jersey like everyone else,” Sheehan said. “But at the same time, I need to manage my load, going from six months out of the game to three weeks in a row. I’ve been well managed by everyone here.”
Sheehan’s try against England was a pivotal moment in securing the bonus-point win, and he admitted the occasion was emotional after his long road to recovery.
“The week before, playing against the Stormers, was a nice confidence boost,” he said. “Just to be back out there with the lads and know that I can still add the way I did in the past. Last Saturday was obviously a big moment in the game - it was a bonus-point try and got us to where we wanted to be.”
Ireland will aim to maintain its perfect start to the Six Nations in Edinburgh, where a victory would keep the Irish firmly on course to defend their title.
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