Today LEO CULLEN HAS confirmed Tadhg Furlong should be fit for the upcoming Autumn Nations Series opener against South Africa.
Ireland play South Africa Saturday week and it's a race against time for the Wexford native. Cullen believes that his star prop will make it time for the opening game.
Furlong rolled his ankle during last weekend's URC clash with Munster.
“He should be fine,” Cullen said of Furlong, before stressing the need for caution with a player who has clocked just 40 minutes for the province this season.
“We thought he was going to be fine last week. He rolled his ankle on Thursday, on Friday we thought he’d be okay, Saturday morning, I said to Tadhg on Friday, we were happy to make the call at that point and he was keen to give it another day on Friday.
"He is doing his single leg hops to test his ankle joint. Still feels, little bit of swelling, and he made the call, the lads were prepped in terms of Mike (Ala’alatoa) and Tom Clarkson as well. That’s where we’ve left it, he’s in (Ireland) camp this week. I would expect him to be able to train fully, so we didn’t take the chance of him playing a game.
Tadhg Furlong is expected to be fit to start for Ireland against South Africa at the start of the Autumn Series on Saturday week @IrishRugby https://t.co/LnGoSfDEQp
— Irish Mirror Sport (@MirrorSportIE) October 25, 2022
“Does he get through all the training, there are other steps that I’m not even going to be witnessing what’s going on there, but I don’t know. The way I understand it, he should be fine.”
Furlong isn't the only injury doubt for the game on November 5th, Josh Van der Flier and Jamieson Gibson-Park will be assessed by the IRFU’s medical team this week
“Case by case. Jamison is getting very close but, again, that’s their (Ireland’s) call and what they’re willing to do, what did they see at training. It’s case by case, they’ll all be very close. But that’s their call on what they’re willing to do and what they see at training. It’s case by case but they are all very close. Whether they make it or not I don’t know.”
Andy Farrell is expected to speak to the media later today and will provide further updates on Ireland's sick list.
Ireland squad list as of 25th October
Backs (16)
Robert Baloucoune (Ulster/Enniskillen) 2 caps, Joey Carbery (Munster/Clontarf) 35 caps, Craig Casey (Munster/Shannon) 5 caps, Ciaran Frawley (Leinster/Skerries) uncapped, Jamison Gibson Park (Leinster) 20 caps, Mack Hansen (Connacht) 6 caps, Robbie Henshaw (Leinster/Buccaneers) 60 caps, Hugo Keenan (Leinster/UCD) 23 caps
Michael Lowry (Ulster/Banbridge) 1 cap, Conor Murray (Munster/Garryowen) 99 caps, Stuart McCloskey (Ulster/Bangor) 6 caps, Calvin Nash (Munster/Young Munster) uncapped, Jimmy O’Brien (Leinster/Naas) uncapped, Garry Ringrose (Leinster/UCD) 44 caps, Johnny Sexton (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 108 caps CAPTAIN, Jacob Stockdale (Ulster/Lurgan) 35 caps
Forwards (21)
Ryan Baird (Leinster/Dublin University) 8 caps, Finlay Bealham (Connacht/Buccaneers) 25 caps, Tadhg Beirne (Munster/Lansdowne) 33 caps, Jack Conan (Leinster/Old Belvedere) 30 caps, Gavin Coombes (Munster/Young Munster) 2 caps, Caelan Doris (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 20 caps, Tadhg Furlong (Leinster/Clontarf) 60 caps, Dave Heffernan (Connacht/Buccaneers) 7 caps, Cian Healy (Leinster/Clontarf) 118 caps, Rob Herring (Ulster/Ballynahinch) 28 caps, Jeremy Loughman (Munster/Garryowen) uncapped, Joe McCarthy (Leinster/Dublin) uncapped, Peter O’Mahony (Munster/Cork Constitution) 87 caps, Tom O’Toole (Ulster/Ballynahinch) 3 caps, Andrew Porter (Leinster/UCD) 46 caps, Cian Prendergast (Connacht) uncapped, James Ryan (Leinster/UCD) 46 caps, Dan Sheehan (Leinster/Lansdowne) 10 caps, Nick Timoney (Ulster/Banbridge) 2 caps, Kieran Treadwell (Ulster/Ballymena) 8 caps, Josh van der Flier (Leinster/UCD) 43 caps
Autumn Nations fixtures
November 5 - Ireland v South Africa - 5.30pm- Aviva Stadium
November 12 - Ireland v Fiji - 1pm - Aviva Stadium
November 19 - Ireland v Australia - 8pm - Aviva Stadium
