Sam Warburton will become Wales’ youngest World Cup captain when he skippers the squad in New Zealand next month.

ANOTHER back-three speedster will miss the World Cup after it emerged Scotland wing Nikki Walker’s knee injury suffered against Italy on Saturday will rule him out of the tournament.

AUSTRALIA coach Robbie Deans has signed a new two-year contract and will remain in charge of the Wallabies until the end of the 2013 international season.

Wales boss Warren Gatland is braced to lose a third British and Irish Lions Test player for the World Cup opener against South Africa next month.

THE decision for Matthew Rees to undergo surgery and miss Wales’ World Cup bid has been taken in the interests of the hooker’s long-term health, according to assistant coach Shaun Edwards.

TO succeed in international competition requires a range of specific characteristics but for Declan Kidney’s men, deep in preparation for the greatest rugby show on earth — the World Cup — patience is probably the most important ingredient his players need to discover at this stage.

England 23 Wales 19

Wales wing Morgan Stoddart has picked up a thigh strain in training which will rule him out of next week’s pre-Rugby World Cup training camp in Spala.

Gavin Henson will return to Test rugby on Saturday after an absence of more than two years when Wales play the Barbarians in Cardiff.

Glasgow 29 Scarlets 37

COACH Brian McLaughlin called flanker Chris Henry ‘Mr Consistency’ and it is odds-on the 27-year-old will form part of an industrious back row when Ulster travel to face Northampton in the Heineken Cup quarter-final in Milton Keynes on Sunday.

Tom Prydie’s hopes of challenging for a place in the Wales World Cup squad appear to be over.

WALES coach Warren Gatland has tipped teenager George North to be “an absolute star” of the future after handing him his RBS 6 Nations debut.

Wales coach Warren Gatland has made two enforced changes for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations finale against France in Paris.

Jonathan Thomas has been passed fit to take his place on the Wales bench for tomorrow’s RBS 6 Nations clash against Ireland in Cardiff.

THERE may still be things to fix but Declan Kidney has decided the Ireland team that edged home against Scotland 10 days ago was not broken in the process.

James Hook will make his second start at fly-half in this season’s RBS 6 Nations Championship when Wales face Ireland on Saturday.

Wales will announce their side to face Ireland this weekend later today, rather than on Thursday.

Wales expect key players Matthew Rees, James Hook and Ryan Jones to all be fit for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations clash against Ireland in Cardiff.

SHAUN EDWARDS accepts that Wales face “a big ask” defensively when try-hungry Ireland arrive at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday.

Wales centre Jamie Roberts believes he is on the way back towards recapturing his best form.

SAM WARBURTON believes Wales are turning around their RBS 6 Nations campaign after the “doom and gloom” of an opening day defeat against Grand Slam-chasing England.

Italy 16 Wales 24

WALES’ injury-hit RBS 6 Nations campaign has claimed another victim with Wasps forward Andy Powell ruled out of the clash against Scotland next Saturday.

Wales tonight revealed that wing Morgan Stoddart is a doubt for the Scotland clash.

Wales 19 England 26

WALES’ coaching staff held a “long debate” about handing James Hook the fly-half playmaker’s role for their RBS 6 Nations showdown against England at the Millennium Stadium tomorrow night.

Wales were today braced for a fresh injury blow ahead of their RBS 6 Nations opener against England in Cardiff.

Perpignan 37 Scarlets 5

LEINSTER stopped the Scarlets from going to the top of the Magners League as they staged an amazing fight-back in the final 10 minutes.

Scarlets 17 Leinster 17

Aironi Rugby 17 Scarlets 34

Munster 27 Scarlets 26

FROM hunters to the hunted, Munster’s young giant-killers know precisely the mindset Llanelli’s Scarlets will bring to their top of the table Magners League clash at Musgrave Park tomorrow (5.35 pm).

Munster coach Tony McGahan has made two changes to the side that defeated Australia during the week ahead of Sunday’s Magners League clash with the Scarlets at Musgrave Park (kick-off 5.35pm).

LEICESTER director of rugby Richard Cockerill praised the intensity of his side’s performance after they hammered the Scarlets at Welford Road to take control of Heineken Cup Pool 5.

Leicester 46 Scarlets 10

The Scarlets welcome back Welsh internationals Ken Owens and Jonathan Davies for their Magner’s League clash with Munster at Musgrave Park on Thursday evening.

SIMON EASTERBY has been ruled out of the remainder of the Scarlets’ Heineken Cup campaign.

Scarlets 16 Edinburgh 17

AUSTRALIA have made just one change to their starting XV for Saturday’s autumn international against Scotland.