Most teams will be announced later today. Some News bits from the 3^rd round in the RBS Six Nations.
26 Wales v France Cardiff 22:00
27 Italy v Scotland Rome 15:30
27 England v Ireland London 18:00

France

Two changes to French starting XV

Toulouse wing Vincent Clerc has been ruled out of France’s Six Nations clash with Wales on Friday meaning young Bayonne flyer Benjamin Fall gets another chance in the starting XV.

There are a total of four changes to the Bleus matchday 22 as Clermont flank Julien Bonnaire replaces the injured Fulgence Ouedraogo in the back row.

One-cap Alexandre Lapandry takes Bonnaires place on the bench.

The only other change to the squad that convincingly beat Ireland at the Stade de France is also due to injury with Toulouse prop Jean-Baptiste Poux coming in for Sylvain Marconnet on the bench.

France lead the Six Nations following victories over Scotland and Ireland, but they were beaten 29-12 by Wales on their last trip to Cardiff two years ago.

France::15 Clement Poitrenaud, 14 Benjamin Fall, 13 Mathieu Bastareaud, 12 Yannick Jauzion, 11 Alexis Palisson, 10 François Trinh-Duc, 9 Morgan Parra, 8 Imanol Harinordoquy, 7 Julien Bonnaire, 6 Thierry Dusautoir (c), 5 Pascal Pape, 4 Lionel Nallet, 3 Nicolas Mas, 2 William Servat, 1 Thomas Domingo.

Replacements:16 Dimitri Szarzewski, 17 Jean-Baptiste Poux, 18 Alexandre Lapandry, 19 Julien Bonnaire, 20 Frederic Michalak, 21 David Marty, 22 Julien Malzieu.

Other News is that France voted for a closed roof.

Scotland

Scotland have made four changes to their team for Saturday’s Six Nations clash with Italy at the Stadio Flaminio.

Following injuries Thom Evans, Chris Paterson and Rory Lamont, Andy Robinson has called in Simon Danielli, Hugo Southwell and Max Evans.

The other alteration to the XV that started at the Millennium Stadium sees Allan Jacobsen recalled at prop in place of Alasdair Dickinson.

Forwards Nathan Hines and Alasdair Strokosch, both of whom missed the Wales game through injury, were deemed fit enough for a place on the bench while centre Nick De Luca also earned a recall among the replacements.

Saturday’s game will see Southwell and captain Chris Cusiter earn their 50th caps.

Chris Cusiter and Hugo Southwell, will be winning their 50th caps

Scotland: 15 Hugo Southwell (Stade Francais), 14 Simon Danielli (Ulster), 13 Max Evans (Glasgow), 12 Graeme Morrison (Glasgow), 11 Sean Lamont (Scarlets), 10 Dan Parks (Glasgow), 9 Chris Cusiter (Glasgow, capt), 8 Johnnie Beattie (Glasgow), 7 John Barclay (Glasgow), 6 Kelly Brown (Glasgow), 5 Al Kellock (Glasgow), 4 Jim Hamilton (Edinburgh), 3 Euan Murray (Northampton), 2 Ross Ford (Edinburgh), 1 Allan Jacobsen (Edinburgh).

Replacements: 16 Scott Lawson (Gloucester), 17 Alasdair Dickinson (Gloucester), 18 Nathan Hines (Leinster), 19 Al Strokosch (Gloucester), 20 Mike Blair (Edinburgh), 21 Phil Godman (Edinburgh), 22 Nick De Luca (Edinburgh).

Ireland

Geordan Murphy has been included in a 32-man squad named by Ireland ahead of Saturday’s Six Nations clash with England at Twickenham.

Ireland coach Declan Kidney names his side to face England at lunchtime on Tuesday.

Ireland squad: Tommy Bowe (Ospreys), Gordon D’Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster), Gavin Duffy (Galwegians/Connacht), Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster), Shane Horgan (Boyne/Leinster), Denis Hurley (Cork Constitution/Munster), Johne Murphy (Leicester Tigers), Geordan Murphy (Leicester Tigers), Brian O’Driscoll (UCD/Leinster), Ronan O’Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster), Tomas O’Leary (Dolphin/Munster), Eoin Reddan (Lansdowne/Leinster), Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster), Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster), Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster), Tony Buckley (Shannon/Munster), Tom Court (Malone/Ulster), Sean Cronin (Buccaneers/Connacht), Leo Cullen (Blackrock College/Leinster), Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster), John Hayes (Bruff/Munster), Chris Henry (Ballymena/Ulster), Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster), Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster), Marcus Horan (Shannon/Munster), Shane Jennings (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Kevin McLaughlin (St. Mary’s College/Leinster), Donncha O’Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster), Paul O’Connell (Young Munster/Munster), Dan Tuohy (Ballymena/Ulster), David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster).

England

England manager Martin Johnson has turned to Brive centre Jamie Noon to bolster his Six Nations squad, ahead of their crucial Six Nations encounter with defending champions Ireland at Twickenham on Saturday.

The left ankle injury sustained by Dan Hipkiss (Leicester Tigers), in a Guinness Premiership match at the weekend, forced Johnson to turn to France for a replacement.

Joe Worsley (London Wasps) has also been included in the squad, but didn’t train on Monday, after playing for London Wasps on Sunday and he will be assessed by the England medical team on Tuesday.

Charlie Hodgson (Sale Sharks) trained with the squad Monday as a precaution, because Jonny Wilkinson (RC Toulon) had some muscle tightness.

The 30-year-old Noon last played for England against Italy in February 2009.

England are expected to name their side to face Ireland on Tuesday.

Wales

Wales head coach Warren Gatland looks set to name Sale scrum-half Dwayne Peel in his matchday 22 to play France in the Six Nations.

The Sale scrum-half, who has recovered from the groin injury that saw him miss Wales’ clashes with England and Scotland, was called into Gatland’s 34-man squad having proved his fitness by playing 80 minutes of the Sharks 19-10 Guinness Premiership defeat by Leeds over the weekend.

Peel’s availability will come as a relief as Gareth Cooper has struggled in the starting role thus far in the championship and Gatland is glad to have 72-times capped Peel available for selection.

Italy

Italy lock Marco Bortolami is set to win his 80th cap, after coach Nick Mallett named him on Tuesday as part of a 30-man squad to play Scotland in the Six Nations.

Fellow lock Carlo Del Fava returns following knee surgery that forced him to miss the England match.

No.8 Alessandro Zanni will probably earn his 40th cap after a man of the match performance on Sunday.

Italian squad: Matias Aguero, Mauro Bergamasco, Mirco Bergamasco, Valerio Bernabo, Riccardo Bocchino, Marco Bortolami, Paolo Buso, Gonzalo Canale, Pablo Canavosio, Martin Castrogiovanni, Lorenzo Cittadini, Carlo Antonio Del Fava, Paul Derbyshire, Simone Favaro, Gonzalo Garcia, Quintin Geldenhuys, Leonardo Ghiraldini (captain), Craig Gower, Andrea Masi, Luke McLean, Fabio Ongaro, Salvatore Perugini, Matteo Pratichetti, Kaine Paul Robertson, Michele Sepe, Alberto Sgarbi, Josh Sole, Tito Tebaldi, Manoa Vosawai, Alessandro Zanni.