SIX NATIONS TEAM NEWS:AS THE injury hex on the Ireland team continued unabated over the weekend with the departure of Stephen Ferris, Ireland's backrow and right wing have been hard hit, not just for the game against Italy at Stadio Flamino on Saturday but also for their second game in the Six Nations Championship against France next week at the Aviva Stadium.

While there is a glimmer of promising news in the fact hooker Rory Best has made good progress, the knee of first-choice blindside flanker Ferris could also keep him out for the game against France, while the in-form right wing Shane Horgan is definitely out for two games.

Tommy Bowe and number eight Jamie Heaslip remain under observation for the France game but there were few noises yesterday from the Ireland management that they were certain of anything after a weekend in which the Ireland A team, although well beaten by Scotland, pulled through without any more players retiring to the medical room.

“Rory Best, who was doubtful last week has made good progress, we’re expecting him to be fit and in consideration for selection,” said Ireland manager Paul McNaughton.

“Stephen Ferris we confirmed is certainly out of the Italian game if not the French game. He’s not out yet but he’s doubtful. I think the guys knew when they got him after the Aironi game (against Ulster) there was doubt and that has now been extended to the French game.

“Jamie Heaslip is back running, out of his boot, as it were. We haven’t ruled him out of the French game. Tommy Bowe, we continue to monitor him with the Ospreys. We haven’t ruled him out of the French game either. Shane Horgan has had an injection in his leg and that went well. He got a good reaction to it but he will still be out for the first two games.”

Add Rob Kearney, Geordan Murphy, Jerry Flannery and John Hayes to the unprecedented injury glut and taking anything from Italy now looks like an early championship challenge for Ireland. But McNaughton preferred to look at what is available rather than what is not.

“Injuries are never a good thing for the squad but when you look at the state we are in and the fact that Stephen Ferris and Jamie Heaslip are two of the main injuries we have and you look at the backrow we still have available to us, it just goes to show the strong situation we are in.”

It was also more upbeat as to who might come in for some of the injured players, with the names of fullback Gavin Duffy and tighthead prop Mike Ross prominent in the conversation. Duffy, as McNaughton acknowledged, is the most experienced fullback remaining, although Luke Fitzgerald and Keith Earls have played there in the past.

Ross, whom the Ireland coaches have been watching closely with Leinster, has also made “massive” improvement since Gert Smal and others sat him down some time ago and told him what was expected.

Smal is confident Ross can reproduce his Leinster form with Ireland if selected.

“Mike has made an improvement right through the season, not just in the Racing (against Leinster) game,” said the former Springbok.

“We didn’t just look at that game. We looked at the whole process to see how we could improve him and discuss what we wanted to see in his make-up. We are very satisfied about where he is at the moment. He’s a good scummager. Since he joined Leinster he has made a massive improvement (in getting around the pitch).”

The Ireland team to face Italy in their opening match will be named today at lunch time.