Prognosis positive for Wallace and Flannery

SIX NATIONS:THE IRELAND squad returned to camp yesterday evening ahead of Sunday's second game of the RBS Six Nations Championship against Italy in Rome on Sunday with what appeared to be a clean bill of health.

Rob Kearney came through the game with no negative reaction after his recent ankle injury. Paddy Wallace received stitches to an eye wound and Jerry Flannery suffered a stinger injury to his shoulder. Both Wallace and Flannery are being monitored and neither has been ruled out of contention at this point.

In addition to the 22 players who were involved in the match day squad on Saturday, six players joined up with the Ireland squad for training this week in Dublin, namely Girvan Dempsey, Keith Earls, Shane Horgan, Mick O’Driscoll, Alan Quinlan and Bernard Jackman.

The Ireland A game against Scotland A next Friday (kick-off 7.30pm), which was scheduled for Donnybrook, has been moved to the RDS with the same kick-off time due to concerns of further possible cold weather after the farcical scenario of last Friday when the referee eventually called off the Ireland A-English Saxons game six minutes after the appointed kick-off time.

Supporters who purchased tickets at last Friday’s game have the option of using that ticket for the game against Scotland A at the RDS. The IRFU yesterday confirmed that supporters who purchased tickets online for that match will automatically receive a refund on their credit card for tickets purchased through Ticketmaster directly. Supporters who purchased their ticket either at the gate or in the Spar in Donnybrook can obtain a refund from the Leinster Branch office in Donnybrook from 2.30pm today until noon on Friday upon presentation of last Friday night’s match ticket.

The French centre Florian Fritz has been cited by the independent citing commissioner, Matt Bayliff, England, for “allegedly making contact with the eyes or eyes area of an opponent” in last Saturday’s game. Fritz’s hearing, before an independent three-man disciplinary committee, is scheduled to take place tomorrow in London. It is understood that the citing was not prompted by the Ireland management.

Wales remain favourites with the bookies to win the Six Nations following the first weekend of action at around evens or 5/4, but Ireland have hardened as second favourites to around 9/4, while the odds of them winning the Grand Slam have been roughly halved to about the 4/1 mark.

TV FIGURES

• AN AVERAGE audience of 702,000* tuned in to RTÉ Two for the entirety of Ireland's first match, compared with a match audience average of 507,000* who watched Ireland's defeat of Italy.

Source: AGB Nielsen Media