Simon Easterby positive on Jack Conan fitness ahead of RWC

Simon Easterby has allayed fears that Jack Conan is an injury doubt for the Rugby World Cup in France next month.

The Ireland squad are in Portugal this week for a warm-weather training camp, but Conan has stayed behind to rehab a foot injury he picked up in Saturday's 33-17 win against Italy.

The Leinster number 8 also saw his 2019 World Cup campaign ended after just one game due to a foot injury, but Easterby says the current knock is nothing like the issue which he endured four years ago.

"No, genuinely not," the Ireland defence coach said, when asked if Conan was a doubt for the tournament.

"Jack has, in the past, had troubles with his foot but it's nothing like it was back in 2019.

"He was pretty bullish around the injury. From everything that we're hearing - and we haven’t had full feedback yet - but everything we’re hearing is it’s a positive injury as opposed to a really negative one."

Ireland's Pool B opponents South Africa haven't had as much luck on the injury front, with centre Lukhanyo Am, out-half Handre Polland and lock Lood de Jager all missing out on Jacques Nienaber's squad due to fitness issues.

The World Cup-winning trio would all likely have been in the Springboks' first-choice XV if fit, but Easterby (below) says the defending champions have more than enough depth to deal with the issue.

"They certainly were [important] in 2019 but I guess across the last four years a lot of those guys haven't had a lot of game time, they've had injuries and obviously due to selection now those injuries either haven't cleared up or they've had new injuries.

"So I think South Africa are a team that are comfortable enough to pull in pretty good quality around players they have picked in positions that maybe in past were