Ireland: Head coach Andy Farrell says injured trio will 'definitely' be fit for World Cup

Conan required a protective boot after injuring his foot against Italy

Ireland head coach Andy Farrell has said injured back-rower Jack Conan will definitely be fit for selection for the upcoming World Cup.

Conan was forced off with a foot injury in the first half of Ireland's win over Italy earlier this month and sat out last week's training camp in Portugal.

Farrell also assured that prop Dave Kilcoyne and hooker Ronan Kelleher will be available for France.

Kilcoyne was rested from training this week, with Jeremy Loughman called up.

None of the injured trio are included in Farrell's matchday squad for their second World Cup warm-up match against England in Dublin on Saturday evening.

"Jack is still ongoing. Him, David Kilcoyne and Ronan Kelleher, they are not long term," Farrell said.

"Whether they are going to be fit for next week [when Ireland play Samoa in their final warm-up game] or not we don't quite know. Probably not.

"Will they be fit for the start of the World Cup and available for selection? Definitely, yes."

'Winning well matters more than winning'

Farrell provided the fitness update while addressing media ahead of the encounter with England and it was a briefing that saw him describe the controversy over son Owen's current disciplinary process as a "circus" that is "absolutely disgusting".

England captain Farrell's World Cup participation is in fresh doubt following World Rugby's appeal against a decision to overturn last Saturday's red card against Wales.

It means the fly-half is not available for England's visit to the Aviva Stadium for a match which the Ireland head coach believes could serve as a pre-France "launch pad".

"No doubt England will be seeing it like that as well which makes them unbelievably dangerous," continued Farrell, who said he was not surprised that his counterpart Steve Borthwick has named a strong team.

"At the same time, we have a few weeks until we get to the Romania game [Ireland opening game of the World Cup] so hopefully we will keep on improving within that time and use that time wisely.

"We are aware of England winning their last three games and that all becomes part of the jigsaw doesn't it.

"Winning matters. It matters massively to us, but winning well with a good performance matters even more."

'There comes a time when you have to narrow it down'

Gavin Coombes was one of five players to leave the Ireland squad this week

Like Borthwick, Farrell has also named a strong team for the Aviva clash, changing the entire starting XV that defeated Italy and naming 11 of the team that beat England to secure the Grand Slam title in March.

The selection of Cian Prendergast at number eight, in what will be the Connacht man's first senior international start, is perhaps the most surprising aspect.

Thursday saw the announcement that five players had been released from Ireland's squad, with Kieran Treadwell, Caolin Blade, Gavin Coombes, Calvin Nash and Jamie Osborne all returning home.

Cutting some players before naming the final World Cup panel is a move that Farrell had previously said he was not sure if he would do, saying on Thursday that he wanted to gauge what he felt was best for the overall group.

"I don't like putting dates on things because it has to be a feel about what is right for the group. You get a sense of where the group is going and what needs to happen for it to kick on.

"I suppose we have kept a lot of players a lot longer than other nations have but we obviously have reasons for that. There has to come a time where you do narrow it down."

He added: "I've been in so many groups where I do understand why people do narrow it down very quickly because people can be a hindrance if they get a sense that they might not be involved.

"Doom and gloom around the corridors is not good but we don't have that with any of our players. Every single player that came into the squad initially has been nothing but the best that they can possibly be.

"We obviously are close and we have been juggling with it all the way through and have known in the background what that should or could look like."