Conor Murray and Robbie Henshaw ruled out of Ireland’s blockbuster clash with New Zealand
- New Zealand face Ireland who are ranked below them at No 2 in the world
- Joe Schmidt will be without key duo Conor Murray and Robbie Henshaw
- Murray is recovering from a neck problem and Henshaw has a hamstring strain
Conor Murray and Robbie Henshaw have been ruled out of Ireland’s autumn Test with New Zealand on Saturday.
Murray, the British and Irish Lions scrum-half, has not played since damaging his neck on Ireland’s summer tour to Australia in June.
Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt had admitted after Saturday’s 28-17 victory over Argentina that Murray was still in the running for a surprise return to take on the All Blacks.
Conor Murray’s neck injury has kept him out of Ireland’s clash with New Zealand
Murray was omitted from Ireland’s 42-man autumn Test squad, and will now not feature this month.
‘Conor Murray is accelerating through his recovery but will not join the squad during the Guinness Series window,’ the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) confirmed in a statement.
Ireland will also be without Robbie Henshaw for the New Zealand and USA encounters, after the centre sustained a hamstring strain.
Robbie Henshaw will also miss the game after picking up a strain to his hamstring
Henshaw pulled up in the warm-up ahead of Saturday’s Pumas clash, and will now miss out this weekend.
‘Robbie Henshaw’s hamstring issue will rule him out of the remainder of the Guinness Series,’ read the IRFU statement.
‘After the opening game of the 2018 Guiness Series at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday evening, a couple of players will be managed in training following a physical encounter against Argentina but all are expected to train fully on Tuesday and Thursday.’
Joe Schmidt’s side overcame Argentina at the weekend but will expect a tougher test