Joe Schmidt is delighted to have some more familiar faces to choose from.
Following an injury-hit start that followed an injury-affected World Cup and an injury-blighted summer, the Ireland coach will take every silver lining he can grasp.
Two senior men returning to the fold are Cian Healy and Simon Zebo. Schmidt looks set to keep both in reserve.
Zebo came close to displacing Rob Kearney but he should now cover multiple slots off the bench. Healy has played twice for Leinster since his return from minor knee surgery but will be in reserve to the in-form Jack McGrath.
Speaking at Carton House this week, Healy said his sole focus is on helping McGrath prepare for England. Once he settles back into the squad, though, battle will resume for the No.1 jersey.
Given his iffy injury profile in recent years, the loosehead is somewhat dismissive about talk players dropping like flies. Healy said:
“Injuries are injuries. It is a contact sport, like. People will document them the whole time but inside the squad you deal with them and put them to the side. That person rehabs and someone fills in. It doesn’t affect us as much as newspaper readers or whatever.”
England have been lauded for their abrasive, dominant start to the Six Nations and are expected to bring that fight at Twickenham this weekend.
Healy smiled and nodded his head when the term ‘car crash rugby’ was made. He commented:
“Same as always. That’s the type of game I like. I like the big hits and the slow game. If you get a chance you get out and have a run in some open space but I’m built for that physical contact and I kind of know my strengths at this stage. It’s the type of game I would look forward to.
“[England] are pretty honest at scrum, same as ourselves, so you are going to have a good fight in there in the tight exchanges. There’s good attritional value in the mauls and rucks as well. It is something I will be looking forward to.”
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