Ireland shrug off injuries after World Cup warm up

Sat, Aug 5, 2023, 9:24 PM
AAP
by AAP
Ireland shrugged off some injury concerns to defeat Italy. Photo: AFP
Ireland shrugged off some injury concerns to defeat Italy. Photo: AFP

Ireland coach Andy Farrell has played down the severity of injuries suffered by Jack Conan, Jimmy O'Brien and Craig Casey during his team's "clunky" Rugby World Cup warm-up win over Italy.

Number eight Conan was pictured in a protective boot following his first-half withdrawal in Dublin, while full-back O'Brien and scrum-half Casey were taken off with shoulder and back issues respectively.

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Caelan Doris shone for the Six Nations champions with two tries in a 33-17 victory in Dublin on Saturday in which Dave Kilcoyne, Stuart McCloskey and replacement Cian Healy were also on the scoresheet.

Speaking of the injury concerns, head coach Farrell said: "They seem not too bad.

"Jimmy's shoulder has shut down a little bit, it's something he's had in the past. Jack lost power in his foot, he seems OK.

"Craig had a tight back which was making his hamstring cramp. They were taken off as precautions more than anything."

An experimental Ireland side recovered from a sluggish start at a subdued Aviva Stadium to take control of the contest but did not fully convince, despite the comfortable scoreline.

"To get up and running with a victory is nice, but I think we all know really that it was a bit clunky, to say the least, at times," said Farrell.

"There was some really good stuff as far as possession is concerned and opportunities to convert were there in spades.

"But we weren't patient enough to be able to convert that, so I think that's the morale of the story really."

Back-rower Doris, selected in an unfamiliar role at openside flanker, was the standout performer, while Ciaran Frawley, Calvin Nash and Tom Stewart came off the bench to make Test debuts.

"I'm sick of him getting man of the match," joked Farrell.

"He just keeps getting better and better. We all know he's good at jackalling and good over the ball and I don't know whether he took that through the roof because he had a number seven on his back.

"He epitomises what we're trying to do as far as the player being in control of his own mind.

"It doesn't really matter whether he makes a mistake or two, he just gets on with the next job the whole time."

Ireland move on to a training camp in Portugal before taking on England and Samoa later this month.

Italy coach Kieran Crowley said: "In the first half, we were dominated all over the place.

"Ireland were too good for us in that first half. Second half, we came back but we've still got a lot of work to do in our breakdown work and just in general with our management."

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