Jonathan Davies faces uphill battle to play any part in Six Nations

Wales centre Jonathan Davies faces an uphill battle to play any part in this season's RBS Six Nations Championship. Davies' regional team the Scarlets have said he is "progressing well" from the pectoral muscle injury he suffered during Wales' opening autumn Test against South Africa in November and has resumed light running.

But they do not expect the 25-year-old Davies, a star of last summer’s successful British and Irish Lions tour of Australia, to be back playing until early March.

That scenario would sideline him from reigning Six Nations champions Wales' first three games against Italy, Ireland and France, while he would have hardly any time to prove his fitness before appointments with England on March 9th and Scotland six days later.

The Scarlets, meanwhile, believe Davies’ fellow internationals Liam Williams and Ken Owens each face three-week absences after suffering respective finger and ankle injuries during a St Stephen’s Day defeat against the Ospreys.

They also confirmed their wing Mike Poole is continuing his recovery in a Cardiff hospital after undergoing surgery to stabilise a serious neck injury suffered during a game between Llanelli and Swansea five days ago.