Tadhg Furlong ruled out of Six Nations opener as Connacht's Jack Aungier called in

Connacht's Caolin Blade will join the camp on Monday following their away clash against Glasgow on Sunday. 

IRELAND CAMP: James Lowe, Dan Sheehan and Jack Boyle have linked up with Ireland in Portugal following their win over Stormers on Saturday. Picture: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

Tadhg Furlong was ruled out of Ireland’s Guinness Six Nations opener against England this Saturday after suffering a recurrence of calf strain in training.

Furlong returned to Dublin for further assessment on Sunday having gone down in training the day at Ireland’s Quinta do Lago warm-weather base on Portugal’s Algarve the previous day.

Uncapped Connacht tighthead prop Jack Aungier has been called into the squad to join provincial team-mate Finlay Bealham and Leinster’s Thomas Clarkson as the selection options for interim head coach Simon Easterby ahead of Thursday’s team announcement in Dublin. Bealham will be favourite to start as the most experienced of the trio on 46 caps, with Clarkson on two having made his Ireland debut off the bench against Argentina last November.

Furlong departed Ireland’s warm weather training camp as Leinster trio Dan Sheehan, James Lowe and Jack Boyle joined the squad having played in their province’s 36-12 URC win over the Stormers on Saturday. Connacht scrum-half Caolin Blade will complete the full complement of 36 players and four uncapped development players when he arrives in camp on Monday while also linking up is Munster attack coach Mike Prendergast.

Prendergast’s candidacy for the top job at Munster has been boosted by being handed the head coach role of the Ireland A squad to face England in Bristol on February 23 and his arrival in Portugal following his province’s bonus-point win at Dragons on Saturday night comes ahead of an A squad announcement in two weeks.

Blade played 55 minutes as a starter in Connacht’s 22-19 loss at Glasgow Warriors on Sunday while the uncapped Boyle, Lowe and Sheehan all started for Leinster at Aviva Stadium the previous night.

Hooker Sheehan ended a six-month absence following a serious knee injury sustained on Ireland duty against South Africa last July while Lowe returned on the left wing after a two-month absence with a hamstring issue.

Both Test starters gave Ireland a boost by turning in impressive performances, Sheehan scoring two tries with Lowe playing a part in both scores, while Boyle, third-choice loosehead prop behind Andrew Porter and Cian Healy, gained some valuable gametime against a battle-hardened South African front row during his hour on the pitch.

The Ireland squad will leave Portugal for Dublin following training on Wednesday with interim head coach Easterby set to name his team to face the English on Thursday afternoon.