Simon Easterby confident Cian Healy will bounce back from injury

Ireland’s team management are confident Cian Healy still has a vital role to play for his country at Test level despite his latest injury setback.

The Leinster and Lions loosehead prop was yesterday forced to withdraw from the matchday squad to face Italy at Aviva Stadium today, having suffered what forwards coach Simon Easterby described as a mild hamstring strain in training on Thursday. Healy had only made his comeback from January knee surgery as a substitute against England two weeks ago and this latest setback, following a serious hamstring injury and subsequent surgery last season, means he has started just four games for Ireland in the past two seasons, making a further six appearances off the bench.

His withdrawal means an unexpected call-up to the replacements for Connacht’s uncapped loosehead Finlay Bealham, who leapfrogged Munster’s more experienced James Cronin into the reckoning as back up to starting number one Jack McGrath. But Easterby insisted Healy, 28, still has plenty of opportunity to add to his 57 Test appearances, maybe as soon as next Saturday in the closing championship game against Scotland.