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Payne played on with the injury through most of the second half of the loss to France. Dan Sheridan/INPHO

Individual session helps Jared Payne prove fitness for Italy

Ireland say the Kiwi will be ready for 12 March after proving his fitness with the medics today.

IRELAND AND ULSTER back Jared Payne has successfully shaken off a hamstring injury in good time for the 12 March Six Nations visit of Italy.

Payne missed out on Ireland’s weekend defeat to England at Twickenham with the issue, but skills coach Richie Murphy today reports that the Kiwi went the distance with the strength and conditioning team.

“Jared Payne did a full session today,” said Murphy, “not with the team, but with the fitness guys and medics. He came through that fine and it looks like he’ll be fully fit to start next week.”

Conor Murray was the only one of the squad not yet released to their province to sit out today’s session in Maynooth, and Murphy let a slight chuckle escape while responding, “Johnny’s fine” to a query about the health of out-half Jonathan Sexton.

“Everyone else is fine. Conor’s got a split in his eye. He’s got eight stitches. He’s grand – he was lucky obviously, but it’s right in the corner of the eye. He’ll be ready for next week.

“He didn’t train today. He’s a little bit bumped up, he got a bit of treatment in that game.
Everyone else came through fine.”

Joe Schmidt’s squad trained with 17 men today against Nigel Carolan’s U20s, who must have a wholly different mood about camp after their dramatic comeback win against England in Newcastle on Friday.

“(It was) a pretty good hit-out for the guys. Very quick, high-tempo training session with a bit of physicality in there too.”

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