'I thought I was going home' - Conan relieved to return to action after foot injury scare

Jack Conan says he thought his Rugby World Cup was over before it began after a set-back in his recovery from a foot injury, but the Ireland number 8 has declared himself fit and ready to go for his side's final Pool B game against Scotland next week.

Conan damaged ligaments in his ankle during the first half of the opening warm-up game against Italy on 5 August, and although it was expected to just be a short term issue, it's kept the Leinster man sidelined for close to eight weeks.

The 31-year-old has returned to full training and is back in the selection mix for the meeting with Scotland on 7 October, but he's revealed that he was left fearing the worst after aggravating the issue early in the tournament.

"Three or four weeks ago I thought I was going home," he said yesterday from Ireland's team base in Tours.

"To be able to turn it around with the work of all the physios, the docs and stuff - they've done an incredible amount of work with me and I'm unbelievably grateful.

"I'm training away, feeling good and just ready to add my bit of value that I can."

At the time of the injury it had been expected Conan would be fit and ready for the tournament opener against Romania in Bordeaux in early September.

"I tore a few ligaments in my foot back against Italy and it was just one of those things, on the day I wasn't able to push off it fully.

"Then, I was coming back from that and ended up over-compensating with other bones in my foot and got bone bruising."

Of all people, it would have been particularly cruel had Conan's injury cost him a shot at the World Cup.

In 2019, the back row had been in the form of his life entering the tournament before another foot injury saw him play just one game.

And he says those painful memories have