Horgan's hopes get the thumbs down

Rugby Six Nations Championship: Shane Horgan has been ruled out of the RBS Six Nations Championship game against France at Lansdowne Road on Saturday week after damaging his right thumb in the 19-13 win over England. The Leinster and Ireland centre received a minor fracture to the base of his thumb and, following extensive medical screening and a visit to a specialist, Horgan was ruled out of selection for the French game, writes John  O'Sullivan.

However, the suggestion is that Horgan could be available for the final Six Nations game against Wales in Cardiff. The unfortunate player suffered the damage in the second half of the English match, but elected to stay on the pitch as the extent of the damage would not have been apparent.

Given his absence, Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan will be hoping to confirm the return of Gordon D'Arcy during the week. The Leinster centre hasn't played since damaging his hamstring in the opening Six Nations match against Italy in Rome, missing the Scotland and England matches.

However, he has returned to training with the Ireland squad and is reported to be making good progress.

Given his enforced sabbatical from competitive action, the Irish management would be keen for him to play this weekend, probably with Leinster in their Celtic League match against the Neath/Swansea Ospreys at Donnybrook on Sunday evening (4.45pm). It's not ideal that the game is on a Sunday, but D'Arcy, were he to play, would be unlikely to play the full 80 minutes.

In an official release from the IRFU, the Irish management professed themselves to be "confident" that D'Arcy would be available for the French match. The squad are ensconced in their Citywest base and will train again this morning before going their separate ways.

It is understood that the practice of allowing those Ireland players who started on the bench to line out for their provinces in Celtic League fare will be continued this weekend, though, there will be a couple of exceptions as Donncha O'Callaghan and David Humphreys will be at Twickenham for the clash of the hemispheres in the tsunami aid charity game.

Ireland captain Brian O'Driscoll, who was due to captain the Northern Hemisphere team, looks certain to miss the game with an elbow injury. Although he still wasn't officially ruled out last night, it's simply a question of when, rather than if, he will be.

From an Irish perspective his absence is opportune, as his presence on Saturday at Twickenham would mean him playing four matches on successive weekends, taking in the Six Nations games against England, France and Wales as well as the charity game, having just recovered from a hamstring injury.

Paul O'Connell was another Irish player originally selected in Northern Hemisphere coach Clive Woodward's team - Humphreys was the third - and at present is down to play, but that too could change.

O'Callaghan's participation has not yet been confirmed, but this morning Woodward is expected to reveal that French captain Fabien Pelous has withdrawn because of injury. Munster are already resigned to being without the secondrow.

The Southern Hemisphere team - marshalled by former Australian World Cup-winning coach Rod Macqueen - could be without Stormers' Springbok star flanker Schalk Burger, whose participation has been left in the hands of a South African doctor on duty with the International Rugby Board (IRB).

Wayne Diesel will look after Burger, the IRB's Player of the Year for 2004, who suffered a haematoma to his left thigh in the Stormers' 26-12 Super 12 victory over the Sharks at Newlands last Friday.

Initial reports put his chances at just 50-50, but Burger was cleared to travel to London on the condition that the IRB's medical staff with the Southern Hemisphere team - which in this case includes Diesel - carefully monitor his rehabilitation.

Meanwhile, Welsh centre Gavin Henson has agreed a new four-year contract with the Neath/Swansea Ospreys. Henson, who guaranteed a place in the heart of every Welsh supporter by kicking the match-winning penalty against England on the opening weekend of the Six Nations Championship, had been courted by several English clubs.