News round-upEngland centre Mike Tindall will not face Ireland at Twickenham on Saturday week even if he returns to action with Bath at Leeds this Saturday.
Tindall's return would be three weeks earlier than predicted after he damaged ankle ligaments at Saracens at the end of December. He took part in a full-contact training session with Bath yesterday and coach John Connolly will make a decision about the 25-year-old's fitness tomorrow.
"Mike is understandably keen to play because if he gets through Saturday he would be in line to stake his claim for a place in the England side for the last couple of Six Nations' weekends," said Connolly.
"That said, his determination is laced with common sense because it will not do him any good to return before he is ready. His ankle was sore after the training session and we will know by Wednesday whether he will be ready."
Connolly confirmed that his former England full back Matt Perry will not play again this season after an operation on a chronic groin problem.
"He has paid a heavy price for non-stop rugby over a three-year period, and the amount of rugby international guys have to play is a concern. You can see five or six clubs in the Premiership are already shying away from signing current England internationals and the fixture list has to be looked at."
Welsh centre Sonny Parker has been ruled out for the rest of the season after breaking his left thumb against Ireland.
The Llanelli Scarlets' coach Gareth Jenkins was interviewed yesterday for the Wales post and is the favourite to take over in the summer.
But current coach Steve Hansen denied that his imminent departure to New Zealand was having an unsettling effect on the players.
"They have known for a long while that I am going and that had not stopped them making excellent progress until Sunday," he said.
"Being part of the All Blacks is something special, but I am not thinking about that yet because my objective is to ensure that my successor in Wales takes over a team which is going places."
The Scotland Rugby Union have appointed Phil Anderton - their marketing director who organised the entertainment before last Saturday's Calcutta Cup match which so infuriated England coach Clive Woodward - as their new chief executive.
Woodward railed against what he saw were various slights against his players, including having an unduly long wait on the pitch before Scotland ran out, but the SRU said they had no intention of staging a war of words with him.
England World Cup winner Jason Leonard has said he was auctioning team shirts he collected at the tournament for charity, with the lot expected to raise up to £150,000 (€220,000).
Eight shirts, including the one he wore in the final when England beat Australia 20-17 last November, will be put under the hammer by Christie's auctioneers this Friday in London.
