Ireland prop Cian Healy, flanker Sean O’Brien, centre Gordon D’Arcy and full back Rob Kearney are expected to be fit for Sunday’s rescheduled Six Nations clash with France.
The Leinster quartet suffered knocks during Saturday’s 32-point win over toothless Italy at the Aviva Stadium.
Scans on the injuries to O’Brien and Kearney – O’Brien twisted an ankle while Kearney was nursing a slight groin problem – have revealed no lasting damage and they’re expected to take a full part in training as Declan Kidney’s squad prepare for their second trip to Paris in the space of three weeks.
D’Arcy suffered a bruised shoulder and Healy took a blow to the jaw, but they’re also expected to be fit and available for selection.
Kidney has several selection decisions to make, most notably whether to stick with Conor Murray at scrum half or reinstate Eoin Reddan, while forwards Donnacha Ryan, Peter O’Mahony and to a lesser extent Sean Cronin are also hoping to get the nod from the start at the Stade de France.
Kidney being Kidney, though, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise if he went with the same starting 15 announcement for the third game on the trot.
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