Six Nations 2025: Ireland's Caelan Doris and Ronan Kelleher emerge as injury doubts for Wales game
2025-02-16
Category: sports

Ireland captain Caelan Doris and hooker Ronan Kelleher have emerged as injury doubts for Saturday's Six Nations game against Wales. Leinster back row Doris has picked up a knee injury, while Kelleher is managing a neck issue. Doris has appeared in Ireland's past 42 Test matches, a run stretching back to the 2021 Six Nations.Iain Henderson (hamstring) and Cormac Izuchukwu (ankle) are unavailable, while their Ulster team-mates Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale and Nick Timoney have been called into the squad. Izuchukwu was forced off early in Ulster's loss to Benetton on Saturday. Munster forwards Gavin Coombes and John Hodnett and Leinster back row Diarmuid Mangan have also been added to interim boss Simon Easterby's panel. Prop Tadhg Furlong is "continuing to make progress", according to the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU), while Mack Hansen and Joe McCarthy are back training with the squad.Furlong and McCarthy missed Ireland's wins over England and Scotland with calf and head injuries respectively, while Hansen was a late withdrawal before the Scotland match with a hamstring issue. 
Munster scrum-half Craig Casey will join the camp this week as he continues his recovery from knee surgery.Ireland are chasing a third successive title and hope to take another step towards the Grand Slam with victory over Wales, who parted ways with head coach Warren Gatland after being handed a 14th straight Test defeat by Italy last week. Having taken over as interim boss, Matt Sherratt called up fly-halves Jarrod Evans and Gareth Anscombe, and centre Max Llewellyn.Ireland have won their past three encounters with Wales, including a 34-10 victory when the sides last met at Principality Stadium in 2023.
Ireland squad to face Wales
Backs (17): Bundee Aki, Caolin Blade, Jack Crowley, Ciaran Frawley, Jamison Gibson-Park, Mack Hansen, Robbie Henshaw, Hugo Keenan, James Lowe, Stuart McCloskey, Conor Murray, Calvin Nash, Jimmy O'Brien, Jamie Osborne, Sam Prendergast, Jacob Stockdale, Garry RingroseForwards (23): Ryan Baird, Finlay Bealham, Tadhg Beirne, Jack Boyle, Thomas Clarkson, Jack Conan, Gavin Coombes, Caelan Doris, Tadhg Furlong, Cian Healy, Rob Herring, John Hodnett, Ronan Kelleher, Diarmuid Mangan, Gus McCarthy, Joe McCarthy, Peter O'Mahony, Andrew Porter, Cian Prendergast, James Ryan, Dan Sheehan, Nick Timoney, Josh van der Flier