Ireland full-back Hugo Keenan has emerged as a major doubt for their Six Nations opener against France, after suffering a broken thumb.
Keenan is yet to play at all this season after undergoing hip surgery in the wake of the British and Irish Lions tour – in which he took a starring role after scoring the decisive try in the final play of their Test two victory over Australia – but was named in Andy Farrell’s initial 37-man training squad for the Championship.
The Leinster ace has been an integral part of the Ireland side since his debut in 2020, winning 46 caps to date.
Hugo Keenan set to miss Six Nations
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In a statement posted on social media, the IRFU said: “Hugo Keenan will return to Ireland tomorrow after sustaining a fractured thumb in training on Tuesday afternoon in Portugal.”
At the time of writing, there is no confirmed replacement.
It is the latest injury blow suffered by Farrell’s side, with Ireland losing key men across the board. Jack Boyle and Tom Ahern have both pulled out of Ireland’s upcoming training camp in Portugal, while Robert Baloucoune is also being assessed by medical staff after picking up a knock. Billy Bohan and Cormac Izuchukwu have been drafted in.
They also join a growing list of injury issues, with the likes of Andrew Porter, Paddy McCarthy, Robbie Henshaw, Ryan Baird, Mack Hansen, Shayne Bolton, Paddy McCarthy and Jordan Larmour also out of the Six Nations.
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Elsewhere, Farrell will be without Bundee Aki for their Six Nations opener against France, with the Connacht back set to undergo a disciplinary hearing after an incident with match officials during his side’s URC defeat to Leinster.
Analysis: Ireland to lean on versatile talents
With Keenan now out of their Six Nations opener, Farrell will likely now have to rely on his versatile players to cover the gap at full-back, especially given no new name has been called into the squad at the time of writing.
They are pretty fortunate to have a few utility backs within their wider group, which does make things a tad easier. Jamie Osborne has spent the bulk of his Test career at full-back, donning the 15 shirt in six of his 10 Test outings for Farrell to date, and importantly, has also deputised for Keenan this season against the All Blacks and Wallabies. That recent experience cannot be understated, given Ireland’s current injury woes across the squad, and could see him in pole position come next Thursday.
Ciaran Frawley is also an option to start at full-back, if needed. The Leinsterman, who will join Connacht at the start of next season, has played in the backfield in each of his last five outings for his province, and is certainly looking for a way back into the Test picture after a frustrating year in that regard. His playmaking skills could also be a nice touch to add to this Irish attack.
Jacob Stockdale has also donned 15 in recent outings for Ulster, notably scoring twice against Racing 92 in the process, and this could again give him a way back into the Ireland starting XV after his own tribulations at Test level. He is also the most experienced option of the lot, which could give him the upper hand.
Underneath them, even the likes of Sam Prendergast and Jack Crowley, both vying for a spot at fly-half, can cover full-back if needed after shifting over for their provinces. This seems unlikely, but could allow both men to start.