O'Driscoll, D'Arcy likely to be fit

Rugby Six Nations Championship: The Irish management were yesterday making cautiously optimistic noises about the recuperation of their midfield game-breakers, Brian O'Driscoll and Gordon D'Arcy, suggesting each will be named for next Sunday's eagerly anticipated showdown between Ireland and England at Lansdowne Road when the starting line-up is announced tomorrow.

Both of the Irish centres, who strained hamstrings in the win away to Italy and sat out the victory in Murrayfield before undergoing four days of rehabilitation in Spala in Poland last week, took some part in yesterday's closed session at Terenure.

In a statement yesterday, O'Driscoll and D'Arcy were said to "have made excellent progress with their hamstring injuries" and reportedly completed "the majority of the session", including the warm-up and a full part in the ball drills, before skipping the contact work.

As there will be minimal contact drills in this morning's session, prior to an afternoon fitness session, the pair will be assessed further tomorrow, "but the Irish management are optimistic that both players will be fit" for the game against England.

"The likelihood is that both will be named in the team when it is announced on Wednesday," confirmed press officer Karl Richardson yesterday. "We are cautiously optimistic, but in reality both players should be fit for the weekend, touch wood."

The news on flanker Johnny O'Connor is more clearcut, with the Wasps' openside having taken a full part in yesterday's session despite being forced off in the second half of his club's English Premiership win over Northampton on Sunday with an ankle injury.

He looks certain to start again, particularly as Denis Leamy did not travel to Dublin yesterday due to the hamstring injury he sustained in Munster's win over Glasgow on Sunday. His fellow Munster backrow David Wallace was called up in Leamy's place.

Ireland and England will announce their starting line-ups and replacements tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Duncan Bell's elevation to the senior England squad completes a circle which the uncapped Bath prop admits he never dreamed possible.

England's injury crisis has cleared the path for Bell to take his international bow on Sunday in a Test debut that seemed unimaginable just a few months ago.

With Phil Vickery breaking his arm while on club duty for Gloucester on Saturday, and Leicester's Julian White in the treatment room with a neck injury, England have been robbed of their preferred tightheads.

Bell was called up to the squad to bolster coach Andy Robinson's frontrow resources and could find himself in the starting line-up at Lansdowne Road, just three months after having his ambitions of playing for Wales dashed.

The 30-year-old had hoped to gain Welsh qualification on residency grounds, but the International Rugby Board decided his appearance on England's 1998 to the Southern Hemisphere as an unused substitute against the Wallabies made him ineligible.

Resigned to seeing his international career confined to rare appearances for England A, he thought his chances of stepping into the Test arena with the World Cup holders were finished.

England's medical staff have also dismissed concerns about the fitness of the Bath centre Olly Barkley.

Meanwhile, Scotland coach Matt Williams has named Simon Taylor in his squad for the clash with Italy after nearly a year on the sidelines with a serious knee injury.

The number eight has not pulled on the blue shirt since suffering serious cruciate ligament damage in the Six Nations Championship game against Ireland last March.

But Taylor strengthened his claim for a much-needed international comeback at Murrayfield on Saturday by making a triumphant try-scoring return for Edinburgh Rugby in their Celtic League 41-33 win against Leinster.

ENGLAND (squad v Ireland): Backs: Jason Robinson (captain), Mark Cueto, Josh Lewsey, Ben Cohen, Mathew Tait, Jamie Noon, Ollie Smith, Henry Paul, Olly Barkley, Charlie Hodgson, Matt Dawson, Andy Gomarsall, Harry Ellis, Andy Goode. Forwards: Graham Rowntree, Andy Sheridan, Duncan Bell, Steve Thompson, Andy Titterrell, George Chuter, Danny Grewcock, Simon Shaw, Steve Borthwick, Ben Kay, Lewis Moody, Andy Hazell, Joe Worsley, Chris Jones, Matt Stevens, Martin Corry.

SCOTLAND (squad v Italy): Backs: Mike Blair, Andy Craig, Chris Cusiter, Simon Danielli, Marcus Di Rollo, Andrew Henderson, Ben Hinshelwood, Rory Lamont, Sean Lamont, Dan Parks, Chris Paterson, Gordon Ross, Hugo Southwell, Simon Webster. Forwards: Ross Beattie, Gordon Bulloch (captain), Bruce Douglas, Jon Dunbar, Iain Fullarton, Stuart Grimes, Nathan Hines, Allister Hogg, Gavin Kerr, Nick Lloyd, Scott Murray, Jon Petrie, Robbie RusselL, Craig Smith, Tom Smith, Simon Taylor, Jason White.