IRELAND Paul O'Connell has been ruled out of the remainder of this year's tournament with a knee injury.
The Ireland captain suffered the damage to his left leg in Sunday's 17-17 draw with France in Paris and despite finishing the game, he is expected to be out for up to six weeks.
Scrum-half Conor Murray will also miss the remaining two games against Scotland and England because of a knee injury. Murray was stretchered off in the second half of the stalemate at the Stade de France and is expected to be out for between three to four weeks.
Munster scrum-half Tomas O'Leary and Connacht forward Mike McCarthy have been called up as cover for the injuries. Ulster hooker Rory Best is the favourite to succeed O'Connell as captain with Ireland set to name their team for this weekend's match with Scotland on Wednesday.
ENGLAND The Wasps lock Joe Launchbury and the Harlequins scrum-half Karl Dickson have been called into Stuart Lancaster's training squad. Launchbury, 20, replaces Northampton lock Courtney Lawes, who will miss the remainder of England's campaign with a shin complaint.
Dickson, the elder brother of England's first-choice scrum-half Lee, comes into the squad after Joe Simpson dislocated his shoulder in Wasps' victory over London Irish at the weekend. Both players will now head to England's Pennyhill Park base.
WALES Warren Gatland is expected to welcome back one World Cup hero – but lose another – for Saturday's match against Italy in Cardiff.
Less than a fortnight after Ospreys lock Alun-Wyn Jones returned to Test action from injury, his World Cup second-row partner Luke Charteris could now join him. But centre Jamie Roberts is fighting what appears to be a losing fitness battle ahead of the Azzurri encounter.
Charteris has officially joined Wales' training squad after making his comeback from a serious wrist injury for Newport Gwent Dragons against Munster two days ago. The news on Roberts, though, does not appear promising after he went off at half-time against England at Twickenham nine days ago.
"He has to come through training today and tomorrow," said Rob Howley, the Wales assistant coach. "Jamie, at the moment, is probably the only doubt."
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