Question mark over Andrew Porter as Ireland's injury woes mount up

Ireland’s principal loose-head, Andrew Porter, is a doubt for the early rounds of the Guinness Men’s Six Nations after it was revealed he injured his calf in training last week.

It would be a huge blow for Ireland to lose the services of Porter, as he’s been a virtual ever-present since Rugby World Cup 2023, while there are also injury doubts over his main understudies, Paddy McCarthy and Jack Boyle.

The Dubliner, who celebrates his 30th birthday in four days’ time, is being sent for a scan, with fears that the injury could keep him out for eight weeks. If that timeline is accurate, the Lions player will do well to make it back before the championship finale against Scotland in Dublin on March 14th.

Meanwhile, Munster scrum-half Craig Casey suffered a shoulder injury in the province’s agonising Champions Cup defeat to Toulon, which has left their qualification hopes hanging in the balance. Munster coach Clayton McMillan described the injury as “reasonably serious”.

Casey featured in six straight games for Ireland at the back end of 2025, including three starts, and would ordinarily expect to be Andy Farrell’s second-choice nine behind Jamison Gibson-Park.

With Ciarán Frawley forced off with an ankle injury early in Leinster’s win, head coach Andy Farrell will be hoping to see Hugo Keenan return to action and boost his full-back options, before Ireland’s Six Nations campaign starts away to France on Thursday, February 5th.

Keenan underwent surgery on a longstanding hip problem after the Lions tour and has yet to feature this season. However, Mack Hansen’s season could be over after he underwent foot surgery, while Jamie Osborne and Jimmy O’Brien, are currently nursing knocks.

Wing James Lowe is not expected to be out for long after picking up a neck injury, which forced him to miss the narrow win over La Rochelle at the weekend.