Devastating Double Blow For Ireland As Key Players Ruled Out Of Scotland Clash

This is not good.

Joe Schmidt has been dealt a massive ahead of Saturday’s Six Nations clash with Scotland with the news that both Johnny Sexton and Peter O’Mahony will not be available for selection at Murrayfield.

Yesterday Ireland team manager Paul Dean said that the Leinster out-half was “looking good” for the clash at Murrayfield and was expected to resume full training today.

However, the calf injury suffered against Castres in the Champions Cup has not healed as quickly as they had hoped and he did not take part in the squad session at Carton House today and has been ruled out.

“As a result of a little calf strain, we don’t want to compromise his calf any further, it’s better to leave him out this weekend,” Simon Easterby told reporters today.

Easterby said Sexton will be monitored this week and is not “necessarily” out of contention for the game with Italy, with Rory Scannell and Ian Keatley, who trained today in the squad, now vying for the bench position behind Paddy Jackson.

Munster captain O’Mahony has been ruled out with a hamstring injury and will have a scan to find out the extent of the injury.