Ireland get tentative Tadhg Furlong boost ahead of Six Nations opener

Tadhg Furlong has handed Ireland a Guinness Six Nations boost by returning to squad training ahead of Thursday’s opener against France in Paris.

The 33-year-old British and Irish Lions tighthead prop has been troubled by a calf injury and sat out earlier sessions this week at Ireland’s training base on the Algarve in Portugal.

“He got through some good work actually, he’s progressed really well,” assistant coach Simon Easterby told RTE on Sunday.

“We’ve been happy with the majority of the lads who have been training and some of them have come in with little niggles, but everyone’s progressing really well and we had everyone available to train today.

“I think today was important and obviously tomorrow will be another important training day, but so far so good.”

Fixture

Six Nations

France

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Ireland

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Ireland boss Andy Farrell will name his team to face France on Tuesday morning, with injury issues at loosehead prop and full-back causing selection complications.

Easterby said: “We’ve got some young guys in, haven’t got as much experience or as many caps, but the training has been excellent.

“I guess one of the real strengths of this group, and it always has been for the last four or five years, has been guys coming in.

“We’ll get support from the more experienced players and it’s up to the young guys to step up as well, and they’ve done that too.

“But the more experienced players have been excellent in the way that they’ve brought players into the system and that makes it really encouraging.”