Joe Schmidt Reveals Why Iain Henderson Isn’t In The Squad To Play Italy

Joe Schmidt named his Ireland team this afternoon for this weekend’s Six Nations clash with Italy.

As expected Donnacha Ryan comes into the side in place of Iain Henderson after recovering from a knee problem. The Munster’s man work at the breakdown and presence in the line-out was sorely missed against the Scots, with his return seen as a huge plus for Ireland.

Interestingly Iain Henderson however has been dropped completely from the squad, with Ultan Dillane acting as cover on the bench, prompting questions from reporters, similar to Ryan’s absence last week.

Schmidt has revealed in his press conference that the case is the same as it was for Ryan last week, with Henderson picking up a strain on Tuesday, and unable to take a spot in the squad.

Henderson picked up a slight hamstring strain, but will potentially be back in training next weekend, and certainly available for the French game according to the Ireland boss.