Ireland lose van der Flier for Wales showdown

Josh van der Flier will miss Ireland’s crunch Six Nations clash with Wales on Saturday due to a groin injury.

The flanker replaced the dropped Sean O’Brien in the starting line-up for the 26-14 victory over France on Sunday but was withdrawn in the first half.

Defending champions Ireland must do without van der Flier when they attempt to deny Wales a Grand Slam in Cardiff while keeping their title hopes alive.

Dan Leavy is back in contention after recovering from a calf injury, while Rob Kearney (calf) and Joey Carbery (hamstring) are also expected to be available along with Tadhg Beirne (knee).

Ireland scrum coach Greg Feek said on Tuesday: “Dan Leavy has joined the squad and he’s here to make sure he looks good, we’ll see how he goes this afternoon.

“It’s a short turnaround; we’ll see how training goes. Sean has been training hard and that puts him into contention. We have a few options there, but we’ll see how it goes in training.

“Tadhg Beirne was sore last week but he will hopefully train and be available for selection. He’s a determined young man and has a lot to offer, it’s a competitive position in the second-row.

“We need to deal what’s in front of us, if he goes well today and gets his detail right, he will put his hand up.”

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