O'Sullivan faces openside crisis

Six Nations Championship: Forget the problems at centre. Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan has been presented with an equally pressing concern with news that both openside flankers, Denis Leamy and Johnny O'Connor, hobbled off in their respective Celtic League and English Premiership matches yesterday.

O'Connor suffered damage to his left ankle in London Wasps' 39-9 victory over Northampton. He was the only starter from the Scotland game not to be rested as the Irish management have no control over players contracted abroad.

Former Ireland coach Warren Gatland, now in his final season as Wasps director of rugby, was critical of the state in which O'Connor returned to the club after his workmanlike display at Murrayfield yet still picked him from the start.

"Johnny rolled his ankle," said Gatlant. "He's got ice on it and he might get a couple of days off before training again. He could probably do with the rest. He came back to us in pieces."

A hamstring complaint ended Leamy's participation in Munster's victory over Glasgow at Thomond Park after 70 minutes. He had produced a quality ball-carrying display that, in the absence of O'Connor, would probably have catapulted him back into the starting XV for a third cap against England on Sunday.

The players' conditions will become clearer today, but in their absence Alan Quinlan and Eric Miller will become immediate candidates for the number seven shirt, while David Wallace and Shane Jennings must also come into the reckoning.

A statement on the condition of Brian O'Driscoll and Gordon D'Arcy is expected today. Both trained four times a day in Spala, Poland, last week, but neither will be taking a full part in the sessions at Naas RFC for the early part of the week.

England's Six Nations injury nightmares also continued over the gap weekend as tighthead prop Phil Vickery was ruled out for the season with a broken bone (the radius) in his right arm. The former Lion had just returned from a back injury but was unable to usurp Julian White from the starting XV. However, White, a world-class scrummager, is also out of next Sunday's game due to a neck problem.

With World Cup-winning loosehead Trevor Woodman also on the sidelines, England coach Andy Robinson has to delve deep into the front row treasure chest. Bath duo Matt Stevens and Duncan Bell are favourites to contest the number three shirt, despite Bell's failed defection to Wales last year. He was refused the switch on the grounds that he toured with England to the Southern Hemisphere in 1998.

Olly Barkley is also a doubt with a leg injury, adding further misery to a midfield area already devoid of the crocked Jonny Wilkinson, Will Greenwood and Mike Tindal. Although fit, the shaky mental states of Charlie Hodgson and 19-year old Matthew Tait have left the door open for in-form Leicester Tigers duo Andy Goode and Ollie Smith.

Leicester caned Newcastle 83-10 on Saturday, with Goode producing a perfect kicking display to collect 28 points. Smith ran in two tries, with Tait in direct opposition. The Newcastle centre's disastrous debut in Cardiff looks to have shattered his confidence completely.

Meanwhile, Geordan Murphy, who is expected to sign a new contract with the Tigers in the coming weeks, made a late entry at Welford Road, picking up a try for good measure, while Gavin Duffy impressed at outside centre for the whole 80 minutes in Harlequins defeat to Worchester.

Miller, Guy Easterby, David Humphreys and Kevin Maggs all came through their Celtic League games unscathed, as did Donncha O'Callaghan, Frankie Sheahan and Marcus Horan. The Test team will be named on Wednesday.

On the Irish under-21 front, outhalf Gareth Steenson (Dungannon) and centre Andrew Trimble (Belfast Harlequins) did not play for their clubs over the weekend due to injury. Trimble has a dead leg but Steenson is out of next Friday's match against England in Dublin. St Mary's College outhalf Jonathan Sexton (19) is in line for a call-up having toured France with an enlarged under-21 panel this season.