Gordon Elliott expects Conflated to improve significantly for the run ahead of his reappearance in the Irish Daily Star – Best For Racing Coverage Chase at Punchestown on Wednesday.

The nine-year-old won the Irish Gold Cup and the Savills Chase at Leopardstown last year and finished an honourable third in the Cheltenham Gold Cup at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

However, he has not been seen in competitive action since pulling up in the Aintree Bowl the following month, and Elliott admits there is plenty to work on in the fitness department.

“Conflated is in good form, but will come on for the run,” said the Cullentra handler.

“He needed the run when starting off last season in Down Royal and will need the run even more this time. We need to get a run into him to see where we are with a view to going back to Down Royal again.”

Conflated is set to be joined by two stablemates in Delta Work and Hurricane Georgie.

Five-time Grade One winner Delta Work, who was last seen unseating his rider in the Grand National, has a third win in the Glenfarclas Chase at the Cheltenham Festival as his primary target.

Elliott added: “Delta Work needs some rain overnight. We might tip away in a few cross-country races with him and head back to Cheltenham again.

“We’re trying to get some black type with Hurricane Georgie.”

The presence of Henry de Bromhead’s 2021 Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Minella Indo adds further spice to the Grade Three contest, with Fighter Allen (Willie Mullins) and Panda Boy (Martin Brassil) completing the line-up.

National Hunt fans have been denied the chance of an early sighting of one of the stars of last season with A Dream To Share no longer running at Punchestown on Wednesday.

The John and Thomas Kiely-trained five-year-old had been declared to start his new career in the BetVictor Predictor Maiden Hurdle, which has an illustrious roll of honour with the likes of Labaik, Samcro and Marine Nationale successful recently.

He is one of the most exciting prospects of the new season, having won five bumpers last term, including successes at Cheltenham and Punchestown.

Bought by JP McManus following his win at the Dublin Racing Festival, his racing manager Frank Berry delivered the unfortunate news that his hurdling debut would have to be delayed.

Speaking at Punchestown on Tuesday afternoon, Berry said: “A Dream To Share won’t be running tomorrow. He has a stone bruise.”

McManus does, though, have the favourite in the BetVictor Proud Sponsors Of Irish Racing Novice Chase in the Willie Mullins-trained Hercule Du Seuil.

The winner of four of his five runs over fences, he is already rated as high as 150.

“He’s taken to jumping very well and has done everything that has been asked of him so far. We’ll just see how he gets on on Wednesday and take it from there,” said Berry.

“He’s won on good ground, he’s won on heavy ground but I think the big thing with him is that he’s learned how to settle. He’s certainly going the right way.

“The handicappers tend to give the summer horses very high marks now. Sometimes they can get a bit lost when the better horses come out so let’s see how he gets on.”

Mqse De Sevigne will return to 10 furlongs at the Breeders’ Cup having chased home an inspired Inspiral in the Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket.

The Andre Fabre-trained four-year-old arrived at the Rowley Mile seeking a Group One hat-trick having landed a Deauville double in the Prix Rothschild and Prix Jean Romanet in the summer and although having to settle for second, lost little in defeat with a performance which pleased her master trainer.

She has now finished first or second in all six starts this season and will head to Santa Anita for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf over the distance she excelled at when downing George Boughey’s Via Sistina on her penultimate start.

Fabre said: “I was pleased with the way she ran, she obviously needs a bit further and was beaten by a top-class filly.

“The Breeders’ Cup is the plan and if she is in good shape she will go there. I think the two extra furlongs will suit her better.

“She was probably a bit backward and a bit unlucky in her races before. But I have been delighted with her.”

Fabre is no stranger to success at the Stateside showpiece and could have the chance to saddle a fourth winner in the Breeders’ Cup Turf if Junko joins his stablemate for the trip across the Atlantic.

The four-year-old was last seen beating Christopher Head’s Big Call in Deauville’s Prix de Reux and having missed out on a run at ParisLongchamp recently will attempt to book his ticket to California in the Prix du Conseil de Paris this weekend.

“I will probably go for the mile and a half race with Junko,” continued Fabre.

“He had to miss the Arc meeting, but he is going to run next Sunday and if he runs well and can get into the race he will run.”

An outstanding century from Dawid Malan and Reece Topley’s eye-catching return put England’s World Cup defence back on track as they hammered Bangladesh by 137 runs in Dharamshala.

The 2019 champions were bruised by a thumping loss to New Zealand in the tournament opener but banked a handsome win of their own to cap their visit to the outer ranges of the Himalayas.

Malan was the architect, rolling out a career-best 140 in 107 balls as he carried England to 364 for nine with a fourth century in his last nine innings.

At one stage they would have backed themselves to post 400, but a flurry of wickets at the back end kept them to a less flashy figure.

It was still their biggest World Cup total on foreign soil and easily enough to get the job done against outmatched opponents who were railroaded by Topley on his recall to the starting XI.

England bolstered their pace attack by swapping out spin-bowling all-rounder Moeen Ali for the 6ft 7in left-armer and it proved an inspired decision as Topley blew away the Bangladesh top order and finished with four for 43.

He took two in two balls in his opening over, clean bowled captain Shakib Al Hasan with a wonderful ball and circled back for the battling Mushfiqur Rahim.

He was the pick of the pack throughout and will take some budging from the teamsheet now.

Bangladesh lost their way entirely with the bat, ambling aimlessly to 227 all out and helping repair much of the previous damage to England’s net run-rate.

Malan was only inked into the starting XI last month, embarking on a compelling run of late summer form just as the selectors were losing faith in the form and fitness of Jason Roy.

A lethargic start against the Black Caps in Ahmedabad did not show him at his best, but the 36-year-old removed any doubt about his readiness with a wonderfully-paced knock.

His first 50 runs came in a hurry, taking just 39 balls, and, after taking 52 more to convert his half-century, he showed off some extra gears by slamming 40 off his last 16 deliveries.

Malan’s ambitious streak was evident from the outset, with two glorious sixes off Mustafizur Rahman the highlight of England’s 61-run powerplay.

The first saw him stoop low enough to engineer a slog-sweep over deep square, a shot requiring equal parts bravery and timing, and the second saw him stand tall and pull hard.

When Bangladesh retreated to spin he took a different method, rarely allowing himself to go aerial, threading his shots into gaps and pulling out a reverse sweep against the steadying hand of Shakib.

He took the lion’s share of a 115-run partnership with Jonny Bairstow (52), who had earlier joined England’s 100-cap club after a presentation from former captain Eoin Morgan and was looking solid until Shakib snuck one into his leg stump.

Malan also outscored Joe Root in the decisive third-wicket stand of 151 that kept England ticking for almost 20 overs.

Root, who emerged alone in credit against the Black Caps thanks to a well-made 77, was calm and controlled again, cutting loose only briefly to reverse ramp Mustafizur for six.

In reaching 82 he moved past Graham Gooch as England’s leading run-scorer in World Cup cricket, easing past his mark of 897.

When Malan departed in the 38th over, after unloading a torrent against Mehedi Hasan, he had left the power-hitters in the middle order a perfect platform of 266 for two.

To score 98 more for the loss of seven wickets was an underachievement, down in no small part to Sofiul Islam, who removed Jos Buttler, Root and Liam Livingstone in the space of nine deliveries.

Despite that, they already had more than enough, with Topley’s new ball showing settling the issue.

Having watched from the sidelines as England took a single wicket last time out, he doubled that tally in his first over.

His fourth delivery swung enough to take Tanzid Hasan’s outside edge and carried to second slip and his second left Najmul Shanto as he sprayed to backward point.

Shakib survived despite misreading the hat-trick ball but was soon undone by something even better, beaten on the outside edge by one that held its line and clipped the top of off.

When Chris Woakes nicked off Mehidy Hasan Miraz it was hard to see a way back from 49 for four and they never really attempted to tackle the spiralling required rate.

Liton Das (76) and Mushfiqur (51) made England work before Woakes and Topley returned to add to their hauls, but the sense of any danger had long disappeared.

Livingstone countered his first-ball dismissal with the bat by producing a first-ball wicket of his own and Adil Rashid opened his account in his 16th over of the tournament.

Bangladesh’s passivity saw them survive almost until the end, but Mark Wood and Sam Curran hit the stumps late on to wrap things up.

Wales say that fly-half talisman Dan Biggar is fit for the Rugby World Cup quarter-final clash against Argentina on Saturday.

Biggar went off after just 12 minutes of Wales’ record 40-6 win against Australia during an unbeaten march through Pool C.

He suffered a pectoral muscle strain and was an unused replacement for the Georgia game last weekend, having been rushed on to the bench when Sam Costelow was summoned to start instead of an injured Gareth Anscombe.

When asked if Biggar was fit to face the Pumas in Marseille, Wales assistant coach Jonathan Thomas said: “Yes.”

There is also encouraging news about Anscombe and full-back Liam Williams.

Anscombe withdrew 45 minutes before kick-off against Georgia due to a groin problem, while Williams was on crutches after taking a blow to his knee.

Those issues came on top of number eight Taulupe Faletau breaking his arm and being ruled out of the tournament remainder.

“At this stage, it is looking positive,” Thomas said, of Anscombe and Williams. “Every day it will evolve. It is probably not as bad as first feared.

“The crutches thing was to try and offload any pressure. It doesn’t mean he (Williams) has done anything severe. He was jogging about today with the medics.

“I saw him (Anscombe) jogging around on the pitch, along with Liam today.

“The first 48 hours after you have a knock is very important in terms of assessing it. With both Liam and Gareth, it is pretty positive.

“That is not me committing to saying they are definitely going to be available. It is an ongoing thing. They were both running around today with the medics, and they will try to progress that each day.”

Wales head coach Warren Gatland is due to name his starting line-up on Thursday, with Aaron Wainwright expected to move from blindside flanker as Faletau’s replacement.

That could then mean captain Jac Morgan wearing the number six shirt and Tommy Reffell starting at openside, although Dan Lydiate and Christ Tshiunza could also be back-row options.

Thomas added: “There was definitely a little bit of a cloud over the victory (against Georgia) because of what happened to Taulupe.

“We have been together for a long time as a whole group, and you build relationships and you become a little bit like a family. When one of your brothers has to leave, it is tough.

“It is what it is. You have got to deal with it and you have got to move on. That is sport and the harsh reality of it.”

Wales face Argentina for the first time in a World Cup game since 1999, and they will start as favourites after collecting 19 points from a possible 20 in their group.

Argentina, in contrast, lost to 14-man England and were unconvincing against Samoa, before clinching qualification by beating Japan.

“For us as a collective, our goal from day one has been to get to knockout rugby,” Thomas said.

“We have achieved that, but we are not satisfied with just getting to the quarter-finals.

“When you get to this stage, any team on their day can beat anyone. There are quality teams and quality players in the last eight.

“I thought they (Argentina) looked more cohesive in their last game against Japan in terms of their attack.

“If you win your first game in the Six Nations, momentum is huge, and it is the same with the World Cup. Every team at this stage will feel confident and feel they have momentum on their side.”

It may only be the opening throes of the new National Hunt season but the ante-post favourite for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, A Dream To Share, runs at Punchestown on Wednesday.

The John and Thomas Kiely-trained five-year-old has already created his own little piece of history having won five bumpers last season, which included popular successes at Cheltenham and Punchestown.

He was ridden to all of those by amateur jockey John Gleeson, as his family bred and previously owned him. Bought by JP McManus after his victory at the Dublin Racing Festival, Mark Walsh takes over in the BetVictor Predictor Maiden Hurdle.

“It’s nothing really to do with the ground, John is just happy with him and said he’s happy to start off and it looks a nice starting point,” said McManus’ racing manager Frank Berry.

“He’s in good form but he’ll naturally improve for the run.

“It’s very rare for a horse to do what he did, winning five bumpers and two Grade Ones, it doesn’t happen too often.

“He was very good and John did a great job with him. We’re looking forward to seeing what he can do over hurdles now.

“John has been happy with his schooling, obviously he’ll learn from the run but he’s happy to start him off and touch wood all will go well.”

McManus also has the favourite in the BetVictor Proud Sponsors Of Irish Racing Novice Chase in the Willie Mullins-trained Hercule Du Seuil.

The winner of four of his five runs over fences, he is already rated as high as 150.

“He’s taken to jumping very well and has done everything that has been asked of him so far. We’ll just see how he gets on on Wednesday and take it from there,” said Berry.

“He’s won on good ground, he’s won on heavy ground but I think the big thing with him is that he’s learned how to settle. He’s certainly going the right way.

“The handicappers tend to give the summer horses very high marks now. Sometimes they can get a bit lost when the better horses come out so let’s see how he gets on.”

Birmingham chief executive Garry Cook has blamed “misalignment” for the circumstances that led to John Eustace’s sacking but vowed to make the club “a football powerhouse” amid reports Wayne Rooney is set to take charge as boss.

Eustace’s departure from St Andrew’s on Monday morning further stoked rumours that former England captain Rooney is due to be appointed as manager following his DC United exit on Sunday.

While an update on the new boss is expected in “the coming days”, Cook explained the timing of Eustace’s exit was driven by facilitating the best possible circumstances for his successor.

In a statement posted to the club’s official website, Cook wrote: “John had clear ambitions and goals for the season. Unfortunately, following a series of meetings over a number of months, it became clear that there was a misalignment with the leadership of the club. When this happens, the best thing to do is to part company.

“The timing of the decision allows the incoming manager sufficient time to evaluate the playing staff ahead of the January and summer transfer windows.

“In a short period, the owners, board members and club leadership have overseen the start of a transformation that not even the most optimistic Blues fan would have considered possible. And this is just the beginning.”

Birmingham, who sit sixth in the Championship, have made a solid start to the season with five wins, three draws and three losses, including a come-from-behind 3-1 derby win over West Brom on Friday.

Eustace led Birmingham to safety last season, a feat Cook acknowledged in a meeting on Monday morning in which he “shared the reasons for the decision to part company”.

Cook did not directly discuss the recruitment process for a new boss in his statement, but hinted at ambitions to attract top talent.

He added: “The owners and board members are ambitious. They are driven to help make Birmingham City a football powerhouse. It will not happen overnight. It is a step-by-step approach.

“We are well aware of what has happened at Blues over the past decade. We believe we have moved on from those dark days giving hope and aspiration to existing and new fans. Our intent is to be judged over what we do in the years to come and be ambitious with the new story that we are writing.

“Creating a winning culture in an organisation that has been on its back foot for a number of years is not easy. My executive team are aware that we are aspiring to be world class, but it takes more than words.

“Birmingham City Football Club needs world-class professionals across every department, to enhance our performance on and off the pitch. Experienced people who know how to be successful and are driven by winning. We are not going to stop identifying and adding such talent to help us realise our ambition.”

The UK and Ireland’s bid to host Euro 2028 has been approved by UEFA’s executive committee after Turkey pulled out of the running.

Here, the PA news agency looks at the 10 stadia across five nations which will host the matches in just under five years’ time.

ENGLANDWembley

England’s national stadium will host the final – and potentially both semi-finals – having also been the venue for the Euro 96 finale and the decisive England v Italy clash at Euro 2020. The Football Association will be working hard with the authorities to ensure there is no repeat of the chaotic scenes which surrounded that match. Wembley is celebrating its centenary this year, with the original stadium opening in 1923 for the British Empire Exhibition.

Etihad Stadium

Work is set to begin later this year on increasing the capacity of treble-winning Manchester City’s ground to almost 62,000 by 2025. The club left their former home ground Maine Road and moved into the stadium in 2003. It was built to host the 2002 Commonwealth Games and hosted the 2008 UEFA Cup final, while England’s football and rugby union sides have both staged fixtures there.

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Spurs’ home is the largest club stadium in London, with a capacity of over 62,000. Opened in April 2019, the stadium includes a retractable pitch with a synthetic NFL surface underneath. Its 17,500-seat, single-tier South Stand is the largest in the UK and features Europe’s longest bar – The Goal Line.

Everton Stadium

The Toffees’ new home at Bramley-Moore Dock is scheduled for completion late next year. Developers are working to a capacity of 52,888.

St James’ Park

St James’ Park, home to Newcastle since the club was formed in 1892, also hosted matches at Euro 96. Newcastle are considering options to develop the stadium which might mean the capacity, currently 52,305, has increased by the time the championship begins in 2028.

Villa Park

Villa Park hosted three World Cup matches in 1966 and four matches during Euro 96. A go-to ground for FA Cup semi-finals – hosting 55 – the stadium is set to be redeveloped to increase capacity to over 50,000 ahead of the tournament.

REPUBLIC OF IRELANDAviva Stadium

The Dublin venue, which holds over 51,000 people and officially opened in 2010, regularly hosts Republic of Ireland football matches and those of the Ireland rugby union team, as well as high-profile Gaelic sports. The stadium, built on the site of the former Lansdowne Road Stadium, which was demolished in 2007, had been part of the original multi-country plans to host Euro 2020 but could not ultimately provide UEFA with the necessary assurances over minimum spectator levels amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

NORTHERN IRELANDCasement Park

Construction on the site in the Andersonstown area of Belfast is due to get under way next year with completion by 2026. The capacity of the stadium is set to be 34,500. It was opened in 1953 to stage Gaelic games and has since been home to the Antrim Gaelic Athletic Association.

SCOTLANDHampden Park

Scotland’s national stadium did host matches at Euro 2020. The Scottish Football Association has also bid to stage the Champions League final in 2026 or 2027 at the stadium, which currently holds just over 50,000. However, developers have put forward proposals to upgrade the stadium and increase capacity to 65,000. A record British crowd of 149,415 saw Scotland beat England 3-1 at Hampden in 1937.

WALESPrincipality Stadium

The Cardiff venue has hosted major European football events before, having staged the 2017 Champions League final. Set to be the second-largest venue in the tournament with a capacity of 74,500.

Catalans Dragons head coach Steve McNamara is confident a first Grand Final win for his club against Wigan at Old Trafford on Saturday would herald a bright new era for rugby league both in France and beyond.

Having slayed four-time defending champions St Helens in last Friday’s epic play-off semi-final, the Dragons are already generating unprecedented interest in Perpignan – with six private planes already booked to fly fans for the final.

A Catalans win would build on their historic Challenge Cup success over Warrington in 2018 and their only previous Grand Final appearance two years ago, and McNamara believes one final step to the top of the sport could not come at a better time.

“I think it’ll make huge noise around the world if we could get the win,” said McNamara. “Getting to the Grand Final is good but winning it would potentially open the door to a World Club Challenge and other avenues.

“The impact on the game in France would be huge. We’re fighting against a big animal in France in rugby union, but we’re holding our own without a doubt, and games like last Friday against St Helens grabbed the attention of everyone around the world.”

Catalans have grown used to trailblazing since their formation from an amalgamation of a number of French sides in 2000, and the historic granting of a Super League licence for the 2006 season.

Coincidentally Wigan were the first victims of the sport’s new Anglo-French era when they were sunk 38-30 in Catalans’ first match in the competition, and the arrival of former Bradford coach McNamara in 2017 helped them entrench themselves within the game’s elite.

One year after winning their first Challenge Cup in 2018 they staged the first Super League game at Barcelona’s Nou Camp and expanding sponsorship and television deals in Catalonia have led club owner Bernard Guasch to target an imminent return.

Catalans’ former Wigan great Sam Tomkins – who scored the dramatic winning try against Saints – may be deservedly garnering the attention and the plaudits as he approaches a fairytale final match of his stellar career.

But significantly, Catalans’ success is increasingly underpinned by an emerging group of French players, the first generation of home-grown talent to make an impact in Super League, and McNamara is convinced the club’s potential can only continue to grow.

“The club is continuing to develop and the young French players coming into the club now are a lot more professional than they were before,” added McNamara.

“We still have some way to go, but the overall impact on the game (of winning the Grand Final) would be huge not only at the top end, but at the grass-roots level as well.”

Organisers are confident the increasing prominence of the sport in the south of France since 2021 will ensure a healthier crowd than the 45, 177 who witnessed Catalans’ close defeat to Saints, the lowest Grand Final crowd since 2021.

Less than 24 hours after Catalans’ Old Trafford bid, Toulouse will host London Broncos in Sunday’s Championship Grand Final with a swift return to Super League beckoning for their rivals, who were relegated after a single, hard-fought top-flight campaign last year.

The contrasting fortunes of the domestic game are a stark contrast to the international stage, with the French authorities withdrawing from hosting the 2025 World Cup in May, shortly after both their men’s and women’s teams were brushed aside 64-0 by England in Warrington.

“It’s been a difficult period for the French national team,” added McNamara. “But step by step we’ve managed to achieve some real consistency over the last four years, and that can only help to put us in a strong position as a game in France.”

Another trip to the Breeders’ Cup is a possibility for Emaraarty Ana having returned to winning ways at Ascot on Saturday.

Kevin Ryan’s consistent speedster had been without a victory since tasting Group One glory in Haydock’s Betfair Sprint Cup in the autumn of 2021, but with cheekpieces applied and showing plenty of zest from the gate, he produced a taking performance in the hands of Neil Callan to claim the Listed Rous Stakes in good style.

The seven-year-old finished fourth in his first crack at the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar in 2021 and upgraded that to second when finding just Brad Cox’s US sprint star Caravel half a length too good at Keeneland last year.

However, with confidence restored at Ascot, the Sheikh Mohammed Obaid-owned sprinter could now get the chance to make it third time lucky Stateside at Santa Anita on November 4.

“To be fair to him, although he didn’t win last year, he was second at the Breeders’ Cup and was second to Minzaal at Haydock,” explained Adam Ryan, assistant trainer to his father.

“I know people were sort of writing him off, but Neil jumped off him at York (after the Garrowby Stakes) and said he wasn’t far away from what we expect from him, just maybe in his old age he was getting a bit cute. The cheekpieces obviously did the trick.”

On the Breeders’ Cup, he added: “With a horse like him we will have to discuss things with connections and we have to take that into consideration. But he loves fast ground and showed a lot of natural speed – it looks like he’s getting a bit quicker so you would have to say that could be on the cards if everyone agrees.

“He’s dined at the top table for most of his career and we know he travels well. He ran a great race over there last year and there will be no question marks over him going, so we will have to just have a chat with connections and decide what the best plan of action is.”

The long-awaited 2024 fixture list has been released by the British Horseracing Authority.

The introduction of ‘Premier Racedays’ had already been announced, while there has also been an effort to significantly boost Sunday racing.

There will be 170 Premier Raceday cards in 2024 across 38 courses. In comparison only 115 meetings in 2023 would have met the criteria which the BHA believes shows the willingness of courses to improve the product they are offering.

It is believed that by creating two tiers it will help point customers towards the headline meetings, and by giving them more space in the 2-4pm slot giving them “room to breath” will allow the sport to better promote stories and improve betting revenue.

During the window there will be two Premier fixtures with one other allowed in the 2-4pm slot. All others will now either start earlier, of which there are only five, or later. There will be 36 starting later than this year.

As for the famously packed Saturday on July 13, Newmarket, York and Ascot will race between 2-4pm while Chester will start later with Hamilton and Salisbury in the evening.

Sunday racing will feature better quality racing and also a trial of evening racing. There will be 29 Premier Sunday Racedays.

There will be a trial of six Sunday evenings in the first quarter of 2024 with £145,000 in prize-money required for each, while there will be additional payments for jockeys and grooms involved at these meetings.

Premier Racedays will benefit from a total of £3.8million in funding from the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB).

Another issue addressed is that of field sizes, statistically at their lowest for 30 years over both Flat and jumps. As a result 20 National Hunt fixtures have been cut meaning there will be 1,468 compared to 1,488 in 2023.

Another initiative to increase competitiveness is that class four handicaps with three or fewer declarations will now be cancelled.

Julie Harrington, chief executive of the BHA, said: “Compiling this year’s fixture list was a truly collaborative process on a scale which I have never before seen in our industry, with the sport pulling in the same direction to achieve a shared objective. I am extremely grateful to my teams at the BHA and everyone across the sport who has engaged so constructively in this process.

“There was agreement across the industry that steps were required to increase racing’s appeal to customers at the earliest opportunity, as well as addressing the current headwinds facing the sport.

“We accept and expected that, with significant change, there will always be some who feel that the cards have not fallen their way. However, the objective for these changes is that they grow the sport as a whole, with benefits that reach throughout the entire industry in the medium to long-term.

“This is the first major step in what is a long-term transformational plan. The expectation is that the changes should generate more revenue, which will allow us to invest in other key areas – including attracting new fans and new owners and increasing the reward and recognition of all our existing participants.

“All of these changes are being introduced on a trial basis. They will be closely monitored and measured.”

James Ryan and Mack Hansen are major doubts for Ireland’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final against New Zealand after missing training on Tuesday.

Lock Ryan was absent from the session on the northern outskirts of Paris, while wing Hansen watched on from the stands.

In more positive news for Andy Farrell, wings James Lowe and Keith Earls and centre Robbie Henshaw did participate.

Head coach Farrell will on Wednesday name his team for Saturday evening’s last-eight showdown with the All Blacks at Stade de France.

Vice-captain Ryan sustained a hand issue in his side’s 36-14 weekend win over Scotland and was due to see a specialist on Monday.

The PA news agency understands the 27-year-old has returned to Dublin for a scan.

Hansen went off for a head injury assessment against the Scots and then sustained a calf problem just minutes after returning to the field.

The Connacht back began the morning training session at Stade des Fauvettes in the terraces then moved down to a pitch-side dugout before media departed.

Lowe was withdrawn at half-time in the victory over Gregor Townsend’s side due to an eye issue. The Leinster player wore a white bib for the session to indicate he was not ready for full contact.

Veteran Earls could be in line to replace Hansen after overcoming the hamstring niggle which ruled him out against the Scots.

The 36-year-old seemed in good spirits and allayed fears about his fitness when speaking to the press on Monday.

Meanwhile, Henshaw appears to be making a quicker than expected recovery from his own hamstring issue after initial estimates suggested he would be sidelined until at least the semi-final stage of the tournament.

Team manager Mick Kearney said on Monday that no member of the 33-man squad had been ruled out.

Ireland will not provide a further squad fitness update to media until after Farrell’s team announcement, which has been brought forward by 24 hours.

The Englishman expressed displeasure with the condition of the pitch at Ireland’s training base.

He raised concerns about sprinklers on the surface of the field potentially causing further injuries to players and proceeded to cover them with cones.