ROBBIE HENSHAW, CJ Stander and Jonathan Sexton will all miss Ireland’s final Guinness November Series game with Australia on Saturday.
The trio all left the field injured in last weekend’s 21-9 defeat by New Zealand in Dublin and they have all now been ruled out of the clash with the Wallabies.
Henshaw was knocked unconscious when All Black flanker Sam Cane’s shoulder made contact with the Leinster man’s jaw in the 10th minute of the match.
New Zealand escaped with no more than the concession of a penalty at the time but Cane has since been cited, along with team-mate Malakai Fekitoa for a second half challenge on Conor Murray, and both will go before a disciplinary hearing later this week.
CJ Stander was removed for a suspected concussion and he will complete the HIA process and return to play protocols, ruling him out of Saturday’s game.
Johnny Sexton suffered a minor hamstring injury and is also ruled out, while Rob Kearney is also following assessment after developing concussive symptoms after the game.
Simon Zebo suffered cramp in the final 10 minutes but is expected to train later in the week, while Tadhg Furling will be monitored over the next 24 hours after he suffered a dead leg during the All Blacks game.
Peter O’Mahony, Ultan Dillane and Keith Earls are expected to return to training this week after they all missed out against Steve Hansen’s side.
Ulster centre Stuart Olding and Munster’s Rory Scannell have been drafted into the squad to provide additional cover to the backline.
Sexton’s absence could hand a start to Ulster’s Paddy Jackson, though the late cameo by Joey Carberry in Chicago means that after years of wrestling with Ian Madigan for the position of understudy, Jackson’s position was no sooner looking assured than it appears to be under threat again.
Luke Marshall may also come right into the reckoning to replace Henshaw. It was another Leinster youngster, Garry Ringrose, who stepped in on Saturday but he is more familiar with outside centre.
Jared Payne could potentially move to full-back if Rob Kearney doesn't make it, thus allowing Ringrose to play at 13, but the more likely scenario is that there will be an all-Ulster pairing of Payne and Marshall in midfield.
