France coach Philippe Saint-Andre has made eight changes for Sunday’s RBS 6 Nations clash with Italy at the Stadio Olimpico.

Jamie Heaslip is unlikely to feature again in Ireland’s quest to retain the RBS 6 Nations title after being ruled out of action for the next month.

Ireland’s Championship and Grand Slam ambitions remain alive, but only just after Joe Schmidt’s side clung on to claim victory against France in their Six Nations meeting at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday evening.

The Ireland coaching staff has today named an extended squad of 46 players for the upcoming RBS 6 Nations matches against Italy and France, as well as the Ireland Wolfhounds fixture against the England Saxons.

Brian O’Driscoll has been cited for stamping on Simone Favaro in Ireland’s 22-15 RBS 6 Nations defeat by Italy on Saturday.

Ireland Centre Gordon D'Arcy has been ruled out of the remainder of the RBS 6 Nations Championship with a foot injury.

A scan has confirmed that Jonathan Sexton strained his hamstring against England yesterday, rating him as doubtful for the 6 Nations game against Scotland in just under two weeks.

RBS Six Nations: IRELAND V WALES

Scott Johnson has been appointed Scotland interim head coach for the RBS 6 Nations and summer tour to South Africa, the Scottish Rugby Union has announced.

Pre-tax losses at the Aviva Stadium, owned by the IRFU and the FAI, fell to €2.43m in its first full year of trading, having shipped losses of €7.16m in the prior year when it was open for six months but incurred costs on a full-year basis.

Gordon D'Arcy is expected to be fit to take part in training this week after took a blow to his shoulder in Ireland's RBS 6 Nations Championship game against Italy, it was announced today.

Ireland have called up Paddy Wallace as cover for Jonathan Sexton ahead of tonight’s RBS 6 Nations clash with France.

WE may be at the very start of a World Cup cycle with three and a half years to shape an Ireland team to take on all comers in 2015 but the Six Nations squad unveiled by head coach Declan Kidney yesterday was very much in the ‘as you were’ mould.

Ulster coach Brian McLaughlin has named an experienced team to face the Scarlets for tomorrow night’s vital Magners League game at Ravenhill (kick-off: 7.05pm).

Welsh fly-half Stephen Jones has waded into Ireland's great fly-half debate by stating that Irish tactics for the RBS 6 Nations clash with Wales will be dictated by who is selected at number 10.

France coach Marc Lievremont today named an unchanged squad for the RBS 6 Nations game against England.

Nick De Luca was today recalled to the Scotland team for Saturday’s Calcutta Cup clash at Murrayfield.

Andy Robinson today made six changes to his Scotland team for Sunday’s RBS 6 Nations opener against France.

Wales might have already played world champions South Africa this autumn – but Shaun Edwards has hailed New Zealand as rugby union’s “standard-bearers”.

Wales flanker Dafydd Jones believes the RBS 6 Nations champions may have underestimated Canada after their thrashing at the hands of Ireland last weekend.

BRIAN ASHTON insists England are ready for their Italian job tomorrow — and he is confident it will not be a botched mission.

Wales left the Millennium Stadium harbouring twin frustrations after they slipped to a 19-9 defeat to RBS 6 Nations title favourites Ireland.

Geoffrey Messina has been drafted into France’s truncated RBS 6 Nations championship squad as coach Bernard Laporte tries to come to terms with an injury list that is seriously hampering his preparations for the competition.

England boss Andy Robinson has repeated his disappointment at the world champions’ lack of extra preparation time for this season’s RBS 6 Nations Championship.

Scotland international Simon Taylor is hoping his first start in a year for Edinburgh Gunners can catapult him into Matt Williams’ team for the RBS 6 Nations game against Italy next week.

Italy’s team doctor Gianluca Melegati has reported a clean bill of health for the Azzurri squad following Sunday’s 28-17 defeat to Ireland in their opening match of the RBS 6 Nations.

Scotland coach Matt Williams began a new era today by naming three uncapped players in his team for their opening RBS 6 Nations Championship match against Wales in Cardiff on Saturday.

On the day that the International Rugby Board informed the 20 nations competing in the World Cup that it will start testing for the new designer anabolic steroid THG, Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan said he hopes the authorities will keep catching the drug cheats.

Free-scoring Ireland could not add to their try tally but led 12-3 against reigning RBS 6 Nations champions France at half-time in a tense match at Lansdowne Road.

Scotland stand-off Gordon Ross has revealed that he has had to shut tomorrow’s RBS 6 Nations Championship opener with Ireland out of his mind during the past week – in order to get some sleep.