Cian Healy making steady progress but it’s ‘an hourly thing’

Irish prop Cian Healy's fitness as the World Cup clock counts down is an hour to hour wait for Irish management. As Joe Schmidt sizes up his squad, which is currently at over 40 players, Healy's availability along with that of Marty Moore and Andrew Trimble will be made over the coming days as the 31-man squad deadline closes at the end of the month.

The information on Trimble’s foot injury is positive and the winger will take part in this weekend’s return match against Wales in Aviva Stadium. Tighthead prop Moore remains in a protective boot for a foot injury but he will train at the team base in Carton House on Thursday and an assessment made then.

"It's an hourly thing. Each hour we get an update on it and we'll see how that stands on Sunday night. We've got people working on the rehab things," said Irish defence coach Les Kiss. "Cian is gradually being exposed to more and more rugby. I'm not sure if we'd be able to say that's a chance of playing (v Wales).

“He did a lot in the session today. I did some personnel work with him at the end of the session around the contact area so some positive results coming through there. He will be assessed by the medics again at the end of the session. He did more in the session today which is promising but we need to get it from the medics.

“Trimby has come up really good. He trained fully so he’s fit to go. We know what Trimby has delivered in the past, so he’s going to play and we’ll know. That’s the bottom line.

“Marty is in a boot still. It’s there to protect the joint. He’ll train on Thursday and that will give him and us a good idea of where he is and that should be able to prove whether he is available on the weekend and that’s probably his important session.”

The coach was evasive when asked if it was fair to ask Healy, if fit enough to be selected, to perform in a World Cup when he won’t have played a competitive match since injuring his neck and having an operation.

The loosehead missed the final eight weeks of the season just finished after undergoing the unavoidable surgery and has not played a competitive match in the interim. Both Trimble and Moore are also short of match time.

“When it comes down to the decision on Sunday night we’ll think about that one,” said Kiss in Healy’s ability to perform. “I don’t know if it’s about fairness or not. I think it’s about everything that’s been done. I know the people we have working with him are experts in their area and we’ll take a lot of feedback from Cian and we’ll involve him in that decision.

“If the medics came to us in an hour’s time and everything looked positive it (playing) might happen earlier for the World Cup.”

Kiss added that after the disappointment of the Irish performance against Scotland, Wales will be a step up. Management expect warren Gatland to arrive with a better string of players and in a different mood to when they met in Cardiff a few weeks ago.

There is also the issue of Paul O'Connell's final international match for Ireland in Dublin to consider. The Ireland and Lions secondrow will retire after the World Cup before moving to France to play club rugby.

“Wales they will be smarting from the last visit we had to Millennium,” said kiss. “I think they will come pretty loaded for this one.

“We need to be ready for it. The last two performances, it was good to get the wins but we also know areas of our game where there needs to be some improvement and I think the boys themselves have been harder on themselves and they are ready to step up to the mark.

“We’ve got Paul...it’s a special occasion for him, his last Test for in Aviva and it would nice to perform and give him something to remember.