Irish boost as Ross likely to be fit for second test

The Ireland squad received a major boost yesterday with the news that first-choice tighthead prop Mike Ross is winning his race to be fit for next Saturday’s crunch second-test in Christchurch.

Ross, who has been suffering with a hamstring strain, missed the opening test at Eden Park and although the Ulster debutant Declan Fitzpatrick did well in the Leinster player’s absence, Ross’s inclusion for the clash in Canterbury would be a major bonus for a pack that came under immense pressure in Auckland last Saturday night.

Ross will have to come through a few intense training sessions this week and will need to be do some scrummaging practice in order to be passed fit, but the early prognosis is positive with team manager Michael Kearney confirming the good news.

“I was speaking to the team doctor Eanna Falvey this morning and he would be very hopeful that Mike’s rehab is right on schedule,” said Kearney at the team’s base in Auckland.

“He ran this morning and he ran very well, without any ill-effects whatsoever, so we’d be very hopeful there.”

The prognosis was also good on back-up tighthead Fitzpatrick who also suffered a hamstring injury during his debut against the world champions. The Ulster man underwent an MRI scan on Sunday with no long-term damage suffered.

Should either player suffer a setback during the week, Kearney confirmed that former Munster prop Tony Buckley was on standby to fly out to New Zealand. Buckley, who is now plying his trade with the Sale Sharks, has been out of favour with Declan Kidney in recent times having featured sparingly at last year’s World Cup.

Ironically, Buckley put in arguably his best display in a green shirt in the 66-28 loss to the All Blacks in New Plymouth two seasons ago.

There were concerns in the aftermath of last weekend’s game that Jonathan Sexton had also picked up a hamstring strain in the warm-up and carried an injury going into the test, but Kearney insisted that the Irish fly-half was fully fit when he took to the field.

“He did feel a bit of tightness in it [during warm-up] but it was fine,” Kearney said.

“He didn’t come off as a precaution… that would have been a tactical substitution. He certainly didn’t complain about it before or afterwards. He did feel a bit of tightness in it but there was never a threat.”