Ireland lose Casey, Sheehan for second Springbok test

Scrumhalf Craig Casey and hooker Dan Sheehan have been ruled out of Ireland’s second test with South Africa and replaced in the squad by uncapped Nathan Doak and Dave Heffernan respectively, officials said on Monday.

Casey suffered a concussion in the Springboks’ 27-20 first test win in Pretoria on Saturday, while Sheehan is suspected to have injured his anterior cruciate ligament and faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Several other players are carrying knocks from a bruising encounter in the opening game of the series but at this stage are still in contention to feature in Durban on Saturday.

Ulster scrumhalf Doak could make his debut in the second test, while Heffernan will look to add to his seven previous caps, the last of which was against New Zealand in 2022.