Ireland will go into their opening Rugby World Cup warm-up clash with Italy at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Saturday with a clean bill of health.
That was the word from Irish Rugby as they issued a statement ahead of their first run-out as Andy Farrell’s team step up their preparations for the tournament.
Ireland regathered at the IRFU High Performance Centre in Dublin as head coach Farrell knows he must soon whittle his current 42-player squad down to 33.
Available for Italy fixture
“The Ireland squad have stepped up their preparations ahead of Saturday night’s opening game of the Bank of Ireland Nations Series at Aviva Stadium against Italy (8pm),” read a statement from Irish Rugby on Monday.
“In team news, all players reported into camp on Sunday evening and are available for selection for the Bank of Ireland Nations Series.”
Ireland will of course be without experienced captain Johnny Sexton for their warm-up matches, but he is set to return from suspension for their pool opener.
38-year-old Sexton admitted to a misconduct charge following a row with referee Jaco Peyper at the end of Leinster’s Champions Cup final defeat to La Rochelle.
After the warm-up clash with Italy, Ireland face England at Aviva Stadium (August 19) and Samoa in Bayonne (August 26) before they head to the World Cup.
Pool opener against Romania
Their opening pool fixture at the global tournament is against Romania in Bordeaux on September 9 before they tackle Tonga, South Africa and Scotland.
Ireland are widely considered one of the favourites for Rugby World Cup glory in 2023, this after they established themselves atop the World Rugby rankings.
Farrell’s charges also claimed a Six Nations Grand Slam earlier this year, beating holders France to the trophy with Pool B rival Scotland in third position.
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The article Ireland release fitness update ahead of Rugby World Cup warm-up opener appeared first on Planetrugby.com.
