Wallace out, Jennings in, Healy waits

LEINSTER’S SHANE JENNINGS will join up with Ireland’s beaten and bruised Rugby World Cup squad today after he was promoted to the panel in place of the injured David Wallace.

With Mick O’Driscoll and Kevin McLoughlin also available as back-row stop-gaps, Irish coach Declan Kidney took the decision to replace like with like, calling up a specialist openside flanker in Jennings for his first World Cup.

Wallace was stretchered off just 22 minutes into yesterday’s 20-9 defeat against England after he failed to get up from a big hit by Manu Tuilagi. The IRFU confirmed last night that the 35-year-old will undergo surgery on a serious knee ligament injury.

Meanwhile, Cian Healy is the other major injury concern arising out of yesterday’s final warm-up game.

The loosehead prop will travel to New Zealand by himself later in the week after medics advised him to stay home for treatment on an eye socket injury.

Healy is expected to meet up with the rest of his team-mates next weekend, but remains a serious doubt for Ireland’s opening pool game against the USA on 11 September.

Read Eddie O’Sullivan’s column for TheScore.ie >

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