THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW
After 14 years at the sharp end of Test combat, Cian Healy never had a better chance of a serious tilt at the World Cup until the 21st minute of Ireland's final warm-up last Saturday night.
All that vanished in the flash it took the veteran Dubliner to smash his right knee and with it the hope of going all the way to the final.
Instead he is marooned in the World Cup crocks' XV:
15 Israel Folau (Tonga, knee)
14 Anthony Watson (England, calf)
13 Tomasso Menoncello (Italy, bicep)
12 Len Ikitau (Australia, shoulder)
11 Sevu Reece (New Zealand, knee)
10 Romain Ntamack (France, Achilles)
9 Jack van Poortvliet (England, ankle)
1 Cian Healy (Ireland, knee)
2 Ken Owens (Wales, back)
3 Allan Ala'alatoa (Australia, Achilles)
4 Jonny Gray (Scotland, kneecap)
5 Lood de Jager (South Africa, shoulder)
6 Ethan Blackadder (New Zealand, calf)
7 *Tom Curry (England, ankle)
8 *Taulupe Faletau (Wales, calf)
*Picked for the tournament but neither has played Test rugby since the end of last season.
