Ireland rookie Tom Ahern hospitalised after ugly red card incident

Munster suffered not only a 26-23 defeat to Northampton Saints at Thomond Park in the Champions Cup on Saturday but also a concerning injury to their lock Tom Ahern.

The ugly incident occurred just before halftime when Northampton’s hooker Curtis Langdon made reckless contact with his knee to Ahern’s head during a ruck.

The knee impact was severe enough for referee Tuai Trainini to issue a red card after reviewing the footage on the big screen. Despite being down to 14 men, Northampton went on to maintain their perfect record in the competition.

Langdon will now face an EPCR disciplinary panel over the incident and will likely be staring down the barrel of a three-week ban at the very least.

Curtis Langdon will sit out the rest of the match after being red carded for a knee to the head 🟥

What do you think of the call?#InvestecChampionsCup #MUNvNOR pic.twitter.com/eVe9amhtqS

— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) January 20, 2024

The 23-year-old Ahern – who was poised to train with the Ireland squad in Portugal for the upcoming Six Nations – was taken to the hospital and reportedly stayed there over night.

Munster head coach Graham Rowntree expressed concern about the 6’9 forward’s condition, with an update expected this morning from the province.

The team also faces an anxious wait over Peter O’Mahony, who limped off with a hip-flexor injury. Recently appointed Ireland skipper O’Mahony is scheduled to appear at the Six Nations launch on Monday and is a key player for the upcoming match against France.

Munster’s woes were further compounded when a distraught Simon Zebo also exited early in the second half. Conor Murray didn’t even make it to the pitch after he was sidelined due to illness.

As a result of the loss, Munster could end up facing top seeds Leinster in the Round of 16 in Dublin.