Sean O’Brien ruled out of Ireland's clash with England

Ireland props Cian Healy and Mike Ross will join Joe Schmidt’s Six Nations squad this week but the head coach has confirmed Sean O’Brien is definitely out of the February 27 clash with England at Twickenham.

After Saturday’s attritional 10-9 defeat to France in Paris, Schmidt has concerns over the fitness of wing Dave Kearney, centre Jared Payne, lock Mike McCarthy and Johnny Sexton, though the coach said yesterday the fly-half was recovering well from a whiplash injury affecting his neck and shoulder.

The late hit Sexton took from Yoann Maestri in Paris may have contributed to that but the French lock’s foul play in levelling the Irishman off the ball went unpunished in-game and he received only a slap on the wrists yesterday, earning merely a citing commissioner’s warning for his shoulder barge, his actions deemed to be “just short of” warranting a red card.