Ireland take on the Springboks in two Tests this summer
Ireland forward Iain Henderson will not be involved in the team’s South Africa series because of injury.
Henderson has had to have toe surgery which has ruled him out for three months. Andy Farrell’s Ireland will play South Africa twice this summer on 6 and 13 July.
Read more: Summer Test fixtures
“Iain Henderson will miss our summer tour to South Africa after undergoing toe surgery – wishing you a speedy recovery, Hendy,” Ireland said on social media.
Henderson’s toe has not been the only issue for the player in this campaign. The Ulster captain also had a foot issue which influenced his involvement in the 2024 Six Nations. He only made two appearances across the tournament where Ireland defended their title.
Ireland will have to take on the current Rugby World Cup champions in the Springboks without the experienced star, Henderson has 81 caps for his country.
The matches are something that excites head coach Farrell. He said on the Tests in Pretoria and Durban in March: “It doesn’t get any more difficult, does it, or any more exciting than that. All you want is an opportunity to put yourself out there against the best and South Africa are 100 per cent the best.
“Being able to go out there and test ourselves over there – we’ve managed to win one game over there before – will be great for our development going forward.”
The last time the two teams played one another was at the 2023 Rugby World Cup. They were drawn in the same pool and the fixture was one of the best at the tournament. Ireland came out 13-8 winners. However, Farrell’s team were knocked out in the quarter-finals by New Zealand.
South Africa, meanwhile, won each of their knockout matches by a point to lift the trophy.
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