Three more out as injuries mount for coach Kidney

IRELAND’S growing injury list has claimed Jamie Heaslip, Shane Horgan and John Hayes, all of whom have become the latest players to be ruled out of the Six Nations opener in Italy in eight days.

With wing Andrew Trimble having been discounted for the Italy game due to injury on Monday, hooker Jerry Flannery not due back until the third game at least and full-backs Geordan Murphy and Rob Kearney previously scratched for the championship, the final round of Heineken Cup group matches last weekend exacted a further heavy toll on the Irish camp as it convened in Limerick yesterday for the first Six Nations training session of the campaign.

Trimble, Horgan, Hayes and Heaslip were yesterday ruled out by manager Paul McNaughton, each for the first and probably second games of the championship, with Ireland welcoming France to Dublin on February 13.