Six points after two games and five quality players set to return.
After a bad start in Edinburgh, Ireland are up and running.
Ireland thrashed Italy 63-10 in Rome with CJ Stander and Craig Gilroy racing over for hat-tricks in the bonus point win.
The only concern for Irish fans would have been the sights of Robbie Henshaw and Rob Kearney leaving the pitch in some discomfort during the second half.
Following the game, however, Schmidt told RTE that both men were taken off as more of a precaution than anything too serious.
Kearney had a bruised bicep after taking some heavy contact while Henshaw took a hefty knock, and bruising, to his calf. Schmidt said:
“A couple of days should see them both right.”
Prior to the game, the Kiwi had also assured us that captain Rory Best was left out of the squad to allow him time to recover from a particularly sapping stomach bug. He should be fully recovered for the 25 February visit of France to the Aviva Stadium.
Schmidt fully expects to have Johnny Sexton, Andrew Trimble and Peter O’Mahony back and fully fit for that France game while Joey Carbery is in line to feature for Leinster in the Guinness PRO12 this weekend. In the post-match presser, Schmidt said:
“The great thing is they will definitely be available for our next game.
“Hopefully there will be some headaches for selection.”
All of a sudden, life doesn’t seem so grim.
