Rhys Ruddock called up as Peter O’Mahony’s World Cup dream cruelly ended

Rhys Ruddock last night flew into Cardiff as the newest member of Ireland’s World Cup squad as Joe Schmidt moved swiftly to cover the departure of injured flanker Peter O’Mahony.

Munster captain O’Mahony had his tournament cruelly cut short on Sunday when he suffered knee ligament damage in the 24-9 victory over France at the Millennium Stadium.

He had left the field on a stretcher in the 55th minute after a typically abrasive and effective performance but initial reports from head coach Schmidt post-match suggested the 26-year-old forward was the least of Ireland’s three injury concerns after Paul O’Connell (hamstring) and Johnny Sexton (groin).