When Joe Schmidt names his starting team to face Wales, this Thursday, it seems highly unlikely that Tadhg Furlong's name will be on it. The Lions prop went off against Italy with a pulled hamstring and it looks like he has lost the race to return to fitness.
The Wexfordman hadn't trained until this Tuesday, when he took a limited part in training, but the Independent.ie are reporting that while he has progessed well, it may not be well enough to ensure he features on Saturday.
Speaking to the media after training, Irish assistant coach Andy Farrell said 'It can't be a risk, he has to be fully fit.' In terms of who will start in his stead, the Indo are led to believe that 22-year-old Andrew Porter will get the nod, ahead of Munster's John Ryan.
Iain Henderson's inclusion is also in doubt due to a hamstring issue but in some good news, James Ryan looks like he will be available to start.
Yesterday Wales named their starting line-up, with Leigh Halfpenny, Liam Williams and Dan Biggar coming back into the side.
The full team reads: L Halfpenny; L Williams, S Williams, H Parkes, S Evans; D Biggar, G Davies; R Evans, K Owens, S Lee; C Hill, AW Jones; A Shingler, J Navidi, R Moriarty. Reps: E Dee, W Jones, T Francis, B Davies, J Tipuric, A Davies, G Anscombe, G North.
