Injured Cian Healy out of 2023 Rugby World Cup as Andy Farrell names Ireland squad for tournament
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/placeholder/eurosport_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
Published 28/08/2023 at 16:53 GMT
Cian Healy will play no part in the 2023 Rugby World Cup after picking up an injury in Ireland's final warm-up game against Samoa. The 35-year-old prop was helped off the pitch by medics during the first half before returning on crutches as Ireland laboured to a 17-13 win. Andy Farrell has now named his final 33-player squad and Healy was one of the big-name omissions.
'Extra special, hugely exciting' - Hogg pumped for Premiership 'Derby Weekend'
Cian Healy will miss the Rugby World Cup after suffering up an injury in Ireland’s hard-fought 17-13 win over Samoa.
The veteran prop had to be helped from the field during the first half in what was Ireland’s final warm-up game before coach Andy Farrell named his 33-man squad.
Healy was later pictured in crutches and Farrell revealed the 35-year-old could be out for as long as 10 weeks.
Munster prop Jeremy Loughman has been called up to take Healy’s place.
"Cian is big enough and old enough and experienced enough to have been through these types of things before," Farrell said.
"He understands these types of things happen but he is obviously devastated, as we are as a group for him."
The other players to be cut from Farrell’s previous 38-man squad are Ulster’s Jacob Stockdale and Tom Stewart, Connacht’s Cian Prendergast, Leinster’s Ciaran Frawley, and Munster hooker Diarmuid Barron.
Farrell has opted for a split of 18 forwards and 15 backs meaning there is a spot for centre Stuart McCloskey, whose place had been under threat despite featuring regularly this year for the world’s top-ranked team.
Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw and Bundee Aki are the other specialist centres in the squad.
Elsewhere, captain Johnny Sexton, who is set to retire after the tournament, will be available for Ireland’s World Cup opener against Romania on September 9 after serving his three-match suspension.
Ireland have won 14 straight Test matches, stretching back to February 2022, and will be looking to land the sport’s biggest prize for the first time.
Also in Pool B with Ireland and Romania are South Africa, Scotland and Tonga.
Ireland's Rugby World Cup squad
Forwards
- Ryan Baird (Leinster)
- Finlay Bealham (Connacht)
- Tadhg Beirne (Munster)
- Jack Conan (Leinster)
- Caelan Doris (Leinster)
- Tadhg Furlong (Leinster)
- Iain Henderson (Ulster)
- Rob Herring (Ulster)
- Ronan Kelleher (Leinster)
- Dave Kilcoyne (Munster)
- Jeremy Loughman (Munster)
- Joe McCarthy (Leinster)
- Peter O'Mahony (Munster)
- Tom O'Toole (Ulster)
- Andrew Porter (Leinster)
- James Ryan (Leinster)
- Dan Sheehan (Leinster)
- Josh van der Flier (Leinster)
Backs
- Bundee Aki (Connacht)
- Ross Byrne (Leinster)
- Craig Casey (Munster)
- Jack Crowley (Munster)
- Keith Earls (Munster)
- Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster)
- Mack Hansen (Connacht)
- Robbie Henshaw (Leinster)
- Hugo Keenan (Leinster)
- James Lowe (Leinster)
- Stuart McCloskey (Ulster)
- Conor Murray (Munster)
- Jimmy O'Brien (Leinster)
- Garry Ringrose (Leinster)
- Johnny Sexton (Leinster)
- - -
TNT Sports presents the premium live sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Heineken Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing and WWE. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination. You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media
Scan me
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement