Kearney to be fit for Ireland slam decider

Fullback Rob Kearney is expected to recover from an ankle injury in time for Ireland's Six Nations grand slam clash against England at Twickenham.

Rob Kearney.

Man of the match against Scotland, Rob Kearney is expected to be fit when Ireland face England. (AAP)

Rob Kearney is expected to be fit for Ireland's Six Nations grand slam with England at Twickenham despite nursing an ankle issue.

Kearney sat out training on Tuesday, but assistant coach Richie Murphy insisted the 85-cap fullback was only held back as a precaution.

Skills coach Murphy confirmed Johnny Sexton is now fully over a gluteal muscle injury, that had hampered his goalkicking in the wins over Wales and Scotland.

Ireland will chase just a third-ever clean sweep in London this weekend, having sealed a third Six Nations title in five years with Saturday's 28-8 victory over Scotland.

"Rob's fine, it's just a case of managing his load," said Murphy, of 31-year-old Kearney, who was icing his foot at Ireland's Tuesday training session.

"He picked up a couple of bangs in the Scotland victory, so we're just easing him back into the week. He's perfectly fine.

"He just got caught on his ankle, but he's fine.

"Again, the medics have looked at him, they are very happy with where he's at."

Kearney and Rory Best are the only survivors from Ireland's 2009 grand slam triumph. Head coach Joe Schmidt will want his in-form fullback available to face an England side unbeaten at Twickenham since Eddie Jones took the helm in December 2015.

Murphy maintained that prop Cian Healy is fit after a neck problem picked up in Saturday's Scotland victory, with Ireland rejecting any notion of the front-rower suffering a head injury.

"He's fully fit, he trained fully," said Murphy, reiterating Ireland's stance that looshead prop Healy had not suffered a head injury at the weekend.

"He was assessed by our medics on the field on Saturday: he was coherent, and he just had a stinger problem."


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Source: AAP



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