Best an injury worry for quarter-final

IRELAND’S progress to the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals may have come at the expense of first-choice hooker Rory Best.

The elation of yesterday’s victory and the chance to play Wales next Saturday in Wellington for a place in the semi-finals was tempered by an injury early in the second half to Best, who was taken immediately for a scan on his injured shoulder.

If reports of a broken collar bone prove correct, Best, one of Ireland’s players of the tournament so far, would see his World Cup come to a disappointing end, with Munster’s Mike Sherry favourite to be called into the squad.

Ireland forwards coach Gert Smal said: “It’s difficult to say. It’s a bit of a worry but we just have to wait for the proper assessment.”

The fallout from a tough and physical encounter is also likely to involve the citing commissioners who are believed to be studying incidents of alleged Italian foul play, including suggestions of eye-gouging on Cian Healy at the hand of an Italian forward and an off the ball hit on Gordon D’Arcy by Sergio Parisse.