Injured Ringrose hoping he can play part in Six Nations finale

Garry Ringrose is targeting a mid-to-late February return from injury with Leinster and, all going well, a phone call from Joe Schmidt just as the Six Nations campaigns is reaching towards a crescendo.

The young centre suffered an ankle injury in last month’s defeat of Ulster at the RDS but he was able to report some pleasing progress on the injury yesterday, on the back of the surgery performed by Johnny O’Connor.

Ringrose is hoping to start running again in two to three weeks, which would put him in the frame for his province’s PRO14 game at home to Scarlets on February 17 and, failing that, the visit to Dublin of Southern Kings six days later.