While England head coach Steve Borthwick has lost hooker Jamie George, scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet and back row Alex Dombrant to injury, O’Connell also reported a clean bill of health for Ireland eight days out from the Aviva Stadium encounter.
Dan Sheehan and James Lowe will feature for Leinster in Saturday’s United Rugby Championship game against the Stormers before linking up with the squad in Portugal, while uncapped prop Jack Boyle (Leinster) and scrum-half Caolin Blade (Connacht) will also play for their clubs this weekend.
While the island of Ireland has been hit by Storm Éowyn over the past 24 hours, the national rugby team has enjoyed the calmer surroundings of Quinta do Lago, which has become a regular stop for the squad ahead of big campaigns in recent years.
“It’s a bit of a change of scenery. When we come out here, the players definitely enjoy it,” said O’Connell.
“It’s a great training facility, they really enjoy the hotel. I suppose there’s a bit of a feeling of ‘we’re in with Ireland now.’
“We’re out of the country and there’s this special experience because it is a great week. The training pitch out there is beautiful.
“We get to have a lot of meetings outdoors because of the weather. Generally, you stay around on the pitch a bit longer, you get to have a few more conversations with players.”
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