Right wing Mack Hansen and tighthead prop Finlay Bealham are on target to be fit for Ireland’s second match of this year’s Six Nations against Scotland in Murrayfield on Sunday.
The news was less promising for prop Tadhg Furlong and secondrow Joe McCarthy, who will sit it out for a second weekend.
Hansen was replaced by Robbie Henshaw in the first half of Ireland’s match against England in a blood substitution for a cut knee, but returned to finish out the opening win over England.
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Bealham picked up an ankle injury in the England game, but scrum coach John Fogarty optimistically said on Wednesday that the Connacht pair “looked good” at training that morning.
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“They trained just now and it looks positive for both of them,” said Fogarty. They took part in the full session.”
The former hooker added that for Furlong and McCarthy the trip to Murrayfield for Sunday’s match is likely to “come too soon” for the Leinster pair.
Furlong missed the England game because of a calf injury with concussion ruling McCarthy out of the game.
Hooker Dan Sheehan hopes to push for a starting jersey in Murrayfield this weekend.
Sheehan had been out of the game for six months until he played against the Stormers with Leinster and came on from the replacements for Rónan Kelleher against England last weekend.
“Obviously my ambitions are to get back into a starting jersey like everyone else is,” said Sheehan. “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. But I’ve been well managed by everyone here. Unfortunately, it’s not up to me to pick the team. We’ll find out over the next few days. But my ambition is to get back soon.”
Sheehan scored a try when he came into the match, something that has become a feature of his game. It was, he said, an emotional moment having missed out on the Autumn Nations Series having injured his ACL in South Africa last summer.
“Yeah, it was a big moment I suppose,” said Sheehan. “The week before playing against the Stormers was also a nice confidence boost and just to be back out there with the lads and know that I can still add the way I did in the past.
“Yeah last Saturday it was obviously a big moment in the game and it was mainly the feeling of the game. That was a bonus-point try and it kind of got us to where we wanted to be ... we ended up switching off in the last five minutes which was quite disappointing but yeah, obviously it was a big moment.”
Ireland have beaten Scotland in their last 10 meetings going back to 2017, when Scotland won 27-22 in Murrayfield.
