SIX NATIONS RUGBY
Six Nations teams plug holes left by injuries
The Six Nations Championship kicks off this weekend with the winners widely touted to emerge from the realm of "last men standing". Injuries have wreaked havoc with most squads but some of the favourites are feeling it more keenly than others. The injuries should make for a more open tournament, especially after double defending champions England have had to plug holes left by about a dozen absentee players. The game is increasingly taking its toll on its top practitioners, which is hardly surprising given the relentless, and in some cases combined, grind of the Top14‚ the Premiership‚ the Pro14 and European club competitions. What has compounded matters‚ especially for the teams from the Home Unions‚ is that their top players were engaged in a gruelling tour of New Zealand with the British and Irish Lions in mid-2017. Ireland are missing 11 players including celebrated stars such as No8 Jamie Heaslip and flanker Sean O’Brien. Scotland are without 10 players including Richie Gray; W...
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