Six Nations: ‘So far, so good’ for Furlong to face France says Ireland assistant Simon Easterby

Ireland assistant coach Simon Easterby said every member of the squad was available to train on Sunday as the panel continue preparations for their Six Nations opener away to France on Thursday night.

Ireland have based themselves in Portugal before the Paris curtain-raiser to the 2026 championship (20:10 GMT) with their camp in Quinta do Lago disrupted by news of Bundee Aki’s suspension and losing Hugo Keenan to injury.

Tight-head prop Tadhg Furlong had also missed training earlier in the week thanks to an ongoing calf problem but was fit to take part in Sunday’s sessions.

The 33-year-old was replaced after 16 minutes of Leinster’s Champions Cup win on 17 January.

“We’ve been happy with the majority of the lads who have been training, and some of them have come in with little niggles, but everyone’s progressing really well and we had everyone available to train,” Easterby said.

On Furlong, Easterby added: “He got through some good work, actually. He’s progressed really well.

“I think [Sunday] was important and obviously [Monday] will be another important training day, but so far, so good.”

On the other side of the scrum, Ireland are without their three first-choice loose-heads with Andrew Porter, Paddy McCarthy and Jack Boyle all out through injury.

Connacht’s uncapped 20-year-old Billy Bohan, who has just five senior games under his belt, had been called into the squad as cover but, along with Leinster back Ciaran Frawley and Ulster number eight Bryn Ward, has returned to Dublin to join the Ireland ‘A’ squad who meet their England counterparts in Cork on Friday night.