Ireland call-up injury cover for Munster star Tom Ahern

Ireland have called up Connacht forward Josh Murphy as injury cover for Munster utility forward Tom Ahern.

Interim head coach Paul O’Connell takes charge as Ireland play Georgia at the Mikheil Meskhi Stadium in Tbilisi in eight days time and are a wider training squad – shorn of those with on Lions duty – are in camp ahead of the trip east.

The IRFU said in a statement: “Connacht’s Josh Murphy has joined the Ireland squad for training in Dublin today and will remain with the panel prior to Wednesday’s departure to Tbilisi. Murphy will provide cover for Tom Ahern who is being managed for hamstring tightness.”

After their match against Georgia on the 5th, Portugal will host the men in green on Saturday, 12th July at the Estádio Nacional do Jamor in Lisbon.

Ahern’s wasn’t the first injury concern during Ireland’s pre-summer tour camp. Last week Munster wing Diarmuid Kilgallen trained with the squad as Calvin Nash was nursing an ankle injury that limited his on-field involvement.

Ulster’s James McNabney suffered an ACL injury in training and did not link up with the group as one of the additional training players. He was replaced by Munster’s Brian Gleeson, who joined provincial teammate Evan O’Connell in the Dublin training camp.