Ireland star ruled out for the remainder of the season due to injury

The 28-year-old, who scored three tries across four Six Nations appearances, picked up the problem during Ireland’s Triple Crown-clinching win over Scotland last weekend.

The province has confirmed Baloucoune will require surgery and is set to be sidelined for roughly three months. That timeline rules him out of Ulster’s remaining United Rugby Championship fixtures as well as next month’s Challenge Cup last-16 clash with the Ospreys.

His absence comes after a strong return to international rugby. Having forced his way back into the Ireland squad with impressive club form, Baloucoune marked his first cap since 2022 with a try against Italy.

He followed that by crossing in Ireland’s record away win over England and producing a fine finish in the victory over Scotland in Dublin.

Those performances earned widespread praise from Ireland head coach Andy Farrell and saw Baloucoune named the Six Nations ‘Rising Player’. Farrell will now be hoping the winger recovers in time for Ireland’s summer Nations Championship fixtures against Australia, Japan and New Zealand.

The injury adds to a growing list of concerns for Ulster boss Richie Murphy ahead of Friday’s URC meeting with Connacht. Cormac Izuchukwu, James Hume and Dave Shanahan have all been ruled out after suffering concussions in last week’s win over Edinburgh.

Jude Postlethwaite is also expected to miss several weeks with a fractured hand, while Jake Flannery is dealing with a shoulder problem. In addition, second row Harry Sheridan is unavailable due to suspension following his red card against Edinburgh.