Andy Farrell, the head coach of Ireland, said he is still unsure of the full degree of the injuries James Lowe, Mack Hansen, and James Ryan sustained in Saturday’s World Cup victory over Scotland.
The Irish triumphed 36-14 to advance to next week’s tantalizing quarterfinal against New Zealand.
However, the world’s best team will be concerned about the health of Lowe (eye), Hansen (calf), and Ryan (wrist).
The “bangs and bruises” on Farrell’s team will be evaluated on Sunday.
We’ll examine how James Ryan is after he received a small knock to the wrist that needs further evaluation.
“James Lowe had a blow to the eye, which caused his eye to close and impair his vision. Towards the end of the game, his vision began to return, which is positive.
“And then a few more bangs and bruises that we’ll need to assess tomorrow.”
Two minutes after scoring Ireland’s opening try, Lowe was replaced at halftime after receiving treatment for an eye injury on the field.
Garry Ringrose and Jamison Gibson-Park served as temporary wings as Ireland easily defeated Scotland and put an end to its competition as Hansen had already withdrew.
Ryan’s health can possibly be a problem. Iain Henderson was selected to start against Scotland despite the second row already having a wrist injury from the win over South Africa a fortnight prior.
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‘We learned so much from New Zealand tour’
Ireland’s focus will now shift to its Saturday match against New Zealand at the Stade de France after winning Pool B.
However, Irish skipper Johnny Sexton claims the team learned a lot from last year’s Test series victory over the three-time World Cup champions in New Zealand. The All Blacks eliminated Ireland from the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan in the quarterfinals.
“We went to New Zealand and Andy told us he’d put us under the most pressure he could find,” Sexton said.
“We were put to the test and forced to grow by going on a three-Test tour and participating in the midweek games.
“We learnt so many lessons on that tour to take with us for the Six Nations, to win a Grand Slam, and it’s to put us in this situation to have to play them again.”
After extending their winning streak to 17 games, Ireland will enter next week’s quarterfinal round with a “spring in our step,” according to Farrell.
“We will enjoy the win tonight, it has been a big week for us and we gave a fantastic side Scotland the respect they deserve,” Farrell added.
“I hope that we will bounce back from this with a spring in our stride.
“I don’t know what would pull you out of bed if you can’t be enthusiastic about this right now.
“These boys have been waiting for these big games, these opportunities to show what they have learned for a while now.”
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