Andrew Trimble misses Six Nations opener

Injured Ireland wing Andrew Trimble is progressing quickly along the road to recovery, but the Six Nations opener against Italy will come too soon for the Ulster man.

A toe ligament problem has sidelined Trimble since October, but he is now jogging lightly and is determined to make sure his province overcome recent struggles to finish the Pro12 season on a high.

But Six Nations duty may have to wait. “The start of it will definitely be too soon,” he says. “I can’t imagine I’d be fit enough to make it for then — my first couple of games back will probably be 20 or 30 minutes from the bench. It’ll be difficult. I did a bit of running last week and my toe was fine; the problem was my lungs. To get back to a level of fitness anywhere near match level will take me a while.”