Ireland have been dealt a significant blow ahead of their Nations Championship home leg, with veteran centre Garry Ringrose ruled out of all three November fixtures. The Irish Rugby Football Union confirmed on Tuesday that the 31-year-old will continue his rehabilitation with Leinster and is unlikely to feature against Argentina on 6 November, Fiji a week later, or the Springboks on 21 November at Lansdowne Road.
Ringrose, capped 76 times since his 2016 debut, has been a cornerstone of Ireland's midfield during their Six Nations Grand Slam campaigns in 2018 and 2023. His absence compounds Farrell's selection headaches, with captain Caelan Doris and fly-half Jack Crowley already sidelined. Utility back Jimmy O'Brien is following concussion protocols after an injury at the weekend and aims to resume full training later this week, while fly-half Sam Prendergast continues wrist-injury rehabilitation in camp. Farrell has not called up replacements.
Ireland sit in mid-table in the Nations Championship after beating Australia and Japan in July before losing to New Zealand. The competition concludes with a finals weekend at Twickenham from 27 to 29 November, where northern and southern hemisphere sides will be matched by ranking to determine an overall champion. The world champions arrive in Dublin having dominated the Rugby Championship, making Ringrose's absence all the more keenly felt in a fixture that has become one of the sport's premier rivalries.