Ireland Six Nations star Tadhg-Beirne in a moonboot

Tadhg Beirne in a moon boot and on crutches after Ireland’s Six Nations win over France. Photo: Inpho.

Six Nations: Grand Slam-chasing Ireland rocked by injury

Ireland lock Tadhg Beirne will miss the remainder of the Six Nations after being ruled out for up to 12 weeks with an ankle injury.

Ireland Six Nations star Tadhg-Beirne in a moonboot

Tadhg Beirne in a moon boot and on crutches after Ireland’s Six Nations win over France. Photo: Inpho.

Ireland and Munster lock Tadhg Beirne will miss the remainder of the Six Nations Championship after being ruled out for up to 12 weeks with an ankle injury.

The 31-year-old was due to undergo surgery on Thursday, having been forced off early in the second half of Saturday’s 32-19 win over France in Dublin.

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Beirne, British and Irish Lion, who has started his country’s last 14 Tests, left the Aviva Stadium on crutches, with his forthcoming absence a major blow for Andy Farrell’s team in their bid for a Six Nations Grand Slam.

“Tadhg Beirne will undergo surgery on the ankle injury he sustained in Saturday’s win over France,” read a tweet from the Irish Rugby Football Union.

“Unfortunately, Tadhg will be ruled out for up to 12 weeks.”

Head coach Farrell said following the weekend game that Beirne’s issue “did not look great”, with his fears subsequently confirmed.

Grand Slam-chasing Ireland sit top of the championship table on the back of bonus-point wins over Wales and France ahead of a round-three trip to Italy on 25 February.

Ulster captain Iain Henderson replaced Beirne on Saturday and is the obvious choice to come into the second row to partner James Ryan (Leinster) in Rome.

Leinster pair Ryan Baird and Joe McCarthy and Connacht’s Cian Prendergast are the other options available to Farrell.

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In better news on Monday, the Irish Rugby Football Union confirmed that star fullback Hugo Keenan has signed a three-year contract extension with the IRFU that will see him continue his career in Ireland and Leinster until the end of the 2025/26 season.

Keenan made his international debut against Italy in October 2020 in the Covid-postponed Six Nations Championship.

The 26-year-old has started 27 of Ireland’s last 29 games, scoring eight tries. He won a Triple Crown with Ireland in 2022 and played every minute of Ireland’s three Test Series against New Zealand last summer.

Ireland Six Nations injury update graphic
Ireland’s Six Nations injury update.