Murray injury a concern for Ireland

Conor Murray’s fitness for Ireland’s RBS 6 Nations title defence will be assessed by national team medics this week after he was forced to miss Munster’s Champions Cup defeat of Sale Sharks at Thomond Park.

First-choice scrum-half Murray failed to make the matchday squad for the final European pool game, in which Munster scored a club European record 65-10 victory over the English visitors, having missed the previous week’s loss at Saracens with a neck injury sustained against Zebre. With fellow Ireland call-ups Keith Earls (groin) and Dave Foley (wrist) failing to finish yesterday’s match, Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt and his medical staff will have their work cut out with Munster players alone as his squad gets preparations underway at Carton House having checked in last night.

Schmidt also saw Leinster scrum-half Eoin Reddan substituted with an injury over the weekend and is facing an anxious wait with Connacht’s Kieran Marmion next in line for an unexpected promotion.