Cian Prendergast has been called up to the Ireland squad as a replacement for Tom Ahern. The Munster forward had been named as one of three training panellists alongside prop Oli Jager and outhalf Sam Prendergast.
Connacht backrow Prendergast will travel with the remainder of the squad when they fly to Portugal on Wednesday for Ireland’s warm-weather training camp in the Algarve ahead of their opening game in the Six Nations against France in Marseille on Friday week.
Ahern was taken off on a motorised stretcher in Munster’s Champions Cup loss at home to Northampton after he was twice kneed in the head by the Saints’ hooker Curtis Langdon, who was sent off.
Ahern spent Saturday night in hospital and although released on Sunday, he will have to continue his rehabilitation with his province and thus misses out on the Algarve camp.
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The 23-year-old Prendergast won his third cap when playing the full 80 minutes of the warm-up win over England and was one of the four players to miss out on the World Cup on the eve of Andy Farrell confirming the 33-man squad for the tournament.
