British and Irish Lions prop Tadhg Furlong has been ruled out of Ireland’s Six Nations opener against England on Saturday by injury.
Furlong, 32, suffered a recurrence of a calf injury at Ireland’s training camp in Portugal on Saturday and has returned to Dublin for further assessment.
Connacht’s Jack Aungier has been called up to the Six Nations holders’ squad as a replacement.
The experienced tighthead prop missed all four November internationals for Ireland with a hamstring issue and only returned for Leinster in their win over La Rochelle three weeks’ ago before missing the province’s last European game against Bath.
Furlong’s absence means Finlay Bealham is likely to start against England at the Aviva Stadium but Ireland’s usual third-choice in the position, Tom O’Toole, is suspended for the first two games of the championship.
Hooker Dan Sheehan and wing James Lowe linked up with the Ireland squad on Sunday after returning from injury to play in Leinster’s United Rugby Championship win over the Stormers on Saturday.
Sheehan was making his first appearance of the season after sustaining a knee injury in Ireland’s summer tour of South Africa while Lowe has been ruled out since sustaining a calf injury in Ireland’s final November international against Australia.
The duo’s Leinster colleague Jack Boyle also joined up with the squad on Sunday with Connacht scrum-half Caolin Blade also set to arrive in Portugal on Monday.
