For the second week in a row, Ireland's Six Nations preparations are facing a late hitch.
Last week it was the diverted bus to Murrayfield causing them to be late, and this week it's a stomach bug for captain Rory Best, laying him up in bed as Jamie Heaslip took charge of the captain's run.
Best had an upset stomach at the team hotel last night, with Joe Schmidt deciding not to take a risk on him for the final training session.
The coaches say they're confident Best will be able to rest up this afternoon and be fit and ready for kickoff tomorrow. However, they aren't leaving anything to chance.
James Tracy called up as precautionary cover for @RoryBest2 who had stomach upset overnight #TeamOfUs #shouldertoshoulder
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) February 10, 2017
Should Best fail to recover, it would propel Niall Scannel into the starting side for his debut, with James Tracy set to add to his single test cap off the bench.
However it's likely that even if Best is fit to start, the stomach bug may have taken enough of a physical toll to prevent him playing the full 80 minutes, so a debut for Scannell is still likely tomorrow.
Management say a decision on his fitness will be made tonight.
