Forced off.

Ireland boss Andy Farrell has been hit with a potential major injury blow ahead of his side’s Six Nations opener against France in Marseille next month.

New captain Peter O’Mahony was forced off during Munster’s Champions Cup fixture with Northampton Saints last night in what looks to be a hip issue for the veteran flanker who was named skipper on Wednesday.

O’Mahony gingerly departed proceedings at the 66-minute mark with Munster and Ireland now waiting on an injury report to see the full extent of the 34-year-old’s issue.

“Pete, we’ll get an injury report tomorrow,” head coach Graham Rowntree told reporters after the match.

“He has got a couple of little bangs there; we’ll see what tomorrow brings.”

There was also some concern for Thomas Ahern, who was named as part of the training squad for the Six Nations as an additional player alongside Munster teammate Oli Jager and Leinster prodigy Sam Prendergast.

Ahern spent the night in hospital after he was on the wrong end of a nasty knee to the head from Northampton’s Curtis Langdon, who was red-carded following the incident.