Danny Lydiate has been declared fit for Wales' RWC quarter final against Ireland on Saturday.
Shane Williams and James Hook have also been passed fit to take a full part in training at Newton Park in Wellington tomorrow (Wednesday) and all three are expected to be available for selection for the Rugby World Cup quarter-final clash with Ireland on Saturday (kick-off 6.00pm).
Dragons back row forward Lydiate and the Perpignan-bound utility back Hook were both injured during Wales’ Round 2 victory over Samoa in Hamilton.
Lydiate has successfully recovered from ankle ligament damage and Hook is back to fitness after a shoulder problem.
Ospreys wing Williams, Wales’ record try scorer (55), has also fully returned from the thigh strain which kept him out of the final two Pool D clashes with Namibia and Fiji.
“Dan, James and Shane have all been passed fit to train tomorrow,” said WRU national medical performance manager Prav Mathema.
“Pending any adverse reaction we expect them all to be available for selection against Ireland this weekend.
“Gethin (Jenkins) and Sam (Warburton) are also both fit for selection following calf cramp experienced during the end of the Fiji fixture.”
Wales name their team to face the Irish for the third time at a Rugby World Cup (they met in Pool 3 in 1987 with Wales victorious and Pool C in 1995 when the honours went to Ireland in South Africa) and the second time in Wellington (1987) on Thursday at 1.00pm local time at their new team base – the Copthorne Oriental Plaza Hotel in Wellington.
WALES v IRELAND IN RUGBY WORLD CUP MATCHES
Played 2 Wales 1 Ireland 1
Wales - 36 points (3 tries)
Ireland - 30 points (3 tries)
Mark Ring, the former Wales centre, is the only back to have scored a try in the two previous RWC meetings between the Celtic nations.
Ring’s try in the inaugural tournament in 1987 and Wales’ first World Cup match – played in a howling Wellington gale – was followed by scores from hooker Jonathan Humphreys and No 8 Hemi Taylor in South Africa eight years later.
Ireland failed to cross the Wales line in 1987 with flanker Denis McBride, prop Nick Popplewell and back row replacement Eddie Halvey the try scorers in Johannesburg when current Wales skills coach Neil Jenkins played in the centre and contributed both conversions and two penalty goals.
1987 RUGBY WORLD CUP
Pool 3 – Wellington – 25 May, 1987
Ireland 6 Wales 13
HT: 6-0 Attendance: 17,500
Ireland: H MacNeill; T Ringland, B Mullin, M Kiernan, K Crossan; P Dean, M Bradley; P Orr, T Kingston, D Fitzgerald, D Lenihan [capt], W Anderson, P Matthews (J Glennan), D McGrath, B Spillane.
Scorers: Penalty - M Kiernan (2)
Wales: P Thorburn; I Evans, J Devereux, M Ring, A Hadley; J Davies, R Jones; J Whitefoot, K Phillips, S Evans, D Moriarty [capt], B Norster, G Roberts, R Collins, P Moriarty.
Scorers: Try - M Ring; Penalty - P Thorburn; Drop Goal - J Davies (2).
Referee: Kerry Fitzgerald (Australia)
1995 RUGBY WORLD CUP
Pool C – Johannesburg – 4 June, 1995
Ireland 24 Wales 23
HT: 14-6 Attendance: 38,000
Ireland: C O'Shea; R Wallace, B Mullin, J Bell, S Geoghegan; E Elwood, N Hogan; N Popplewell, T Kingston [capt], G Halpin, G Fulcher, N Francis, D Corkery, P Johns, D McBride (E Halvey).
Scorers: Try - E Halvey, N Popplewell, D McBride; Conversion - E Elwood (3); Penalty - E Elwood
Wales: T Clement; I Evans, M Hall [capt], N Jenkins, G Thomas; A Davies, R Jones; M Griffiths, J Humphreys, J Davies, D Jones, G Llewellyn, S Davies, E Lewis, H Taylor.
Scorers: Try - J Humphreys, H Taylor; Conversion - N Jenkins (2); Penalty - N Jenkins (2); Drop Goal - A Davies.
Referee: Ian Rogers (South Africa)
