Ireland are taking no chances with full-back Rob Kearney’s Rugby World Cup fitness.
Simon Zebo deputised at full-back in Saturday’s 21-13 defeat to England at Twickenham, Kearney sitting out despite being branded fit for selection.
The 29-year-old Leinster star suffered a bruised knee in training last week, but head coach Joe Schmidt said he had remained available for the game.
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Instead Ireland opted to hand winger Zebo another run at full-back in preparation for the 25-year-old covering Kearney during the World Cup.
“Rob Kearney will do moderated training in the first part of this week,” an Ireland injury update statement read.
Zebo struggled positionally against England, Anthony Watson catching him out for the second of the hosts’ two first-half tries.
Ireland base much of their tactical kicking attacking game around Kearney’s prowess under the high bomb, leaving Kiwi boss Schmidt refusing to take any risks in training this week.
Ireland have confirmed scrum-half Conor Murray continues to follow the return-to-play protocols after suffering concussion against England. Schmidt is confident
Murray will be fit for Ireland’s World Cup opener against Canada in Cardiff on Saturday week.
Johnny Sexton and Zebo both limped out of the closing stages of Ireland’s defeat in England, but Schmidt revealed their only issues as cramp – and that was backed up by yesterday’s injury bulletin.
Meanwhile, Schmidt has defended Ireland’s performance, with the first-half branded by former winger Shane Horgan as “the worst 40 minutes” of the Kiwi’s time in charge of the team.
“There was plenty to be worried about,” Horgan, capped 65 times between 2000 and 2009, said. “It was probably the worst 40 minutes of the Joe Schmidt era.
Extremely passive in their line-speed, allowing mis-matches for England backs against Ireland forwards who are reaching with their arms.
“No aggression in the tackles, no desperation in the tackles. It’s very, very concerning around collision time.”
But Schmidt responded: “We came out, we were quite flat, couldn’t get access to the ball and we spent a lot of time defending. We couldn’t get out of our half
effectively, which is unusual for us.
“At the same time, if we score from the lineout or carrying ball very close to the line and go in 12-10, probably the same assessment can be made, but one small thing has changed. The fine margins are what decide games like that.”
