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“Jared Payne has a bruised foot and hasn’t trained all week”, said Kearney.

Rob Kearney and Jared Payne have both lost their fitness battles for Ireland’s crucial World Cup clash with Italy on Sunday.

Ireland know that their meetings with Italy and France should decide Pool D, with a potential quarter-final against Argentina in the offing.

There is another provincial axis in midfield with Ulster’s Darren Cave and Payne filling the centre berths, while Earls is joined in the back-three by Simon Zebo and Tommy Bowe, the only survivor from Ireland’s 43-12 victory over Romania back in November 2005.

“It might have been when his knee hit the ground”.

Joe Schmidt is expected to make numerous changes for Sunday’s clash with Murphy stressing that players will be selected based on their performance at training.

Joe Schmidt’s men beat Canada by 50-7 at the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff.

Dazzling Earls, making his first appearance for Ireland in 29 months, boosted his chances of being included in Schmidt’s 31-man final World Cup squad with a classy display in Cardiff.

Some players will need to have a pretty good look at their game.

The match was delayed by over five minutes as the Munster flanker received lengthy treatment before being stretchered off in some distress with a nasty-looking leg injury.

The 21-year-old flanker hails from a one of rugby’s most famous dynasties.

Donnacha Ryan and Keith Earls will both end 29 months without Test rugby when they start Ireland’s World Cup warm-up clash against Wales in Cardiff.