Ireland are set to be without hooker Dan Sheehan for the World Cup pool clash against the Springboks after the Leinster star suffered a foot injury in the warm-up matches.
Sheehan picked up the injury after attempting a kick during the World Cup warm-up win against England in Dublin.
Ireland coach Andy Farrell, who will name his 33-player squad for the World Cup next Monday, is still waiting to hear about the full extent of the injury.
However, Sheehan has not travelled with Ireland to Biarritz, where they will prepare for the final warm-up against Samoa on Saturday.
According to the Independent.ie, the Leinster hooker has undergone scans and could be out for between six and eight weeks. That would rule him out of Ireland’s World Cup pool matches against Romania, Tonga and South Africa, but he would have an outside chance of facing Scotland.
Ireland now face a selection headache as Sheehan’s Leinster teammate Rónan Kelleher has yet to play in any of the warm-up games owing to a hamstring injury, which is likely to keep him out of the Test against Samoa.
Ulster pair Rob Herring and Tom Stewart are Ireland’s other options in the position, while uncapped Munster hooker Diarmuid Barron linked up with the squad this week as a temporary replacement for Sheehan.
Photo: Twitter: @IrishRugby