Ireland's Henry has surgery

Dublin - Ireland flanker Chris Henry has undergone a procedure to repair a defect in his heart wall, the Irish Rugby Football Union has announced on Tuesday

The 30-year-old Ulster and Ireland back-row forward suffered "a temporary blockage of a small blood vessel in his brain" on the morning of Ireland's clash with South Africa on November 8 and missed the match against the Springboks as a result

The heart procedure, which took place on Monday, is related to the brain injury, the IRFU said.

"Chris is recovering from a procedure yesterday to repair a defect in his heart wall," said the IRFU statement.

"This was found to be related to his recent episode and has been performed to prevent further issues."

Team medical staff initially diagnosed a virus on the morning of the match before suspecting a severe migraine.

However, specialists have since determined he was suffering from this more unusual condition that saw Henry miss Ireland's surprise 29-15 win over the Springboks.

Ulster manager Bryn Cunningham said he was hopeful Henry will make a full recovery and return to rugby.

"We're waiting for the medical staff to give us an update," Cunningham told the BBC.

"If he gets back to playing professional rugby that will be fantastic. That's certainly what we are hoping for."