Aki and Keenan twin shocks may test even Andy Farrell's powers of positive thinking

Farrell placed improving discipline at the top of his list of improvements and also addressed the penalty Aki conceded for dissent at the Dexcom last Saturday, agreeing work still needed to be done with the squad on staying mentally focused

Ireland head coach Andy Farrell, right, and forwards coach Paul O'Connell during training sessio at The Campus in Quinto da Lago, Portugal. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

An ill wind continued to blow dark clouds across Portugal’s Algarve on Wednesday, serving as an apt metaphor for Ireland’s Guinness Six Nations preparations, now just a week out from their championship opener against titleholders France in Paris next Thursday.

Having already travelled from Dublin without his three top-ranking loosehead props, it emerged head coach Andy Farrell had left veteran centre Bundee Aki behind to face a URC misconduct complaint which on Wednesday night was upheld, resulting in a six-week suspension, two weeks of which were suspended.