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Ahern injury worry, Josh Murphy called up to Ireland squad as precaution
Ireland have been left worrying over Tom Ahern's fitness ahead of departure for Georgia and the first of the Ireland summer tour games.
The Munster star has been described as having as a hamstring problem, and is being managed.
It was serious enough for the IRFU to call in the 'Doc' - Josh Murphy that is, the Connacht player who finished his medical exams in 2021.
It is the latest in a series of frustration for Munster fan-favourite Ahern who also missed out on the Ireland A game in Bristol last March through injury.
An IRFU statement released this morning read: Connacht's *Josh Murphy* has joined the Ireland squad for training in Dublin today and will remain with the panel prior to Wednesday's departure to Tbilisi. Murphy will provide cover for *Tom Ahern* who is being managed for hamstring tightness."
Enniscorthy-born Murphy, 30, was originally with Leinster for whom he made 61 appearances between 2017 and 2022 before a move to Connacht - where he took a year's sabbatical 2023/24 to do his medical internship.
The upshot was 18 appearances in 2022/23, 17 as a starter and 21 games in 2024/25, with 17 of those as a starter.
The hope is still that Ahern can travel or, at minimum, take a short hop to join the party in Lisbon for the second game against Portugal.
Either way, should Ahern or Murphy travel and get capped it will still fit with assistant coach Mikey Prendergast's aspiration to have handed out 12 debuts over the two games.
Says Leinster's URC winning star Tommy O'Brien who is probably at the head of the queue when it comes to those dozen and who is seen as a potential Ireland regular next season: " I'm dying to play a game for Ireland, so wherever they play me, I'll happily play.
"I think I probably have been viewed more as a winger at the moment, but if it's wing, if it's centre, if it's the 23 role, yeah, I'm happy to play wherever."
There is a dozen guys from different provinces who hav experienced different types of seasons but all ready to go.
"There's obviously different people, so the Leinster guys would have come just almost straight in from playing, but some of the other guys would have been be champing at the bit, they would have been training away behind the scenes for the last few weeks, so everyone's champing at the bit to get some rugby under the belt.
"And then obviously it's what you dream of as a kid, getting to represent your country and as you said, there's 12 of us in here who haven't done it yet and so fingers crossed now as many of them can get that first cap."
The first game with Georgia, world ranked no11 and currently one place ahead of Wales, is considered the more difficult of the two tasks.
"We obviously know they're a very proud rugby team, unbelievably physical and they have a good few players who play Top 14 rugby, so know some of them from that.
That's something that we'll definitely look into, but we know they're a very proud emerging nation."
IRELAND SUMMER TOUR SCHEDULESaturday, 5th July: Georgia v Ireland, Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi (kick off 9pm local time, 6pm Irish time);Saturday, 12th July: Portugal v Ireland, Estádio Nacional do Jamor, Lisbon (kick off 7pm local, same Irish time)Ireland Men's Squad – Summer Tour 2025, departing for Tbilisi on Wednesday, 2nd (14): Shayne Bolton (Connacht)*, Craig Casey (Shannon/Munster)(captain)(18), Jack Crowley (Cork Constitution/Munster)(24), Nathan Doak (Banbridge/Ulster)*, Ciaran Frawley (UCD/Leinster)(8), Hugh Gavin (Galwegians/Connacht)*, Stuart McCloskey (Bangor/Ulster)(19), Ben Murphy (Clontarf/Connacht)*, Calvin Nash (Young Munster/Munster)(10), Jimmy O'Brien (Naas/Leinster)(8), Tommy O'Brien (UCD/Leinster)*, Jamie Osborne (Naas/Leinster)(7), Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne/Leinster)(8), Jacob Stockdale (Lurgan/Ulster)(38)Forwards (18): Tom Ahern (Shannon/Munster)*, Jack Aungier (Lansdowne/Connacht)*, Ryan Baird (Dublin University/Leinster)(27), Jack Boyle (UCD/Leinster)(2), Thomas Clarkson (Dublin University/Leinster)(6), Gavin Coombes (Young Munster/Munster)(2), Max Deegan (Lansdowne/Leinster)(2), Cormac Izuchukwu (Ballynahinch/Ulster)(1), Alex Kendellen (UCC/Munster)*, Gus McCarthy (UCD/Leinster)(4), Paddy McCarthy (Dublin University/Leinster)*, Michael Milne (UCD/Munster)*, Darragh Murray (Buccaneers/Connacht)*, Tom O'Toole (Ballynahinch/Ulster)(16), Cian Prendergast (UCD/Connacht)(4), Stephen Smyth (Old Wesley/Leinster)*, Tom Stewart (Ballynahinch/Ulster)(2), Nick Timoney (Banbridge/Ulster)(3)
