Six Nations
Kidney not giving up on Heaslip
ESPNscrum Staff
January 26, 2011
Jamie Heaslip takes the challenge to New Zealand, Ireland v New Zealand, Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland, November 20, 2010
Jamie Heaslip is set to miss Ireland's opener © PA Photos
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Players/Officials: Declan Kidney | Jamie Heaslip
Tournaments/Tours: Six Nations
Teams: Ireland

Ireland coach Declan Kidney has not given up hope on Jamie Heaslip playing in their Six Nations opener against Italy on February 5.

The Leinster No.8 has been out since Christmas with an ankle injury and will see specialists on Wednesday to determine the severity of the problem.

Ospreys winger Tommy Bowe will also have a clearer idea of the nature of his knee injury after a consultation, although Ulster flanker Stephen Ferris is expected to recover from a knee problem in time to face the Azzurri.

"Jamie and Tommy are seeing a specialist today. We won't know more until tonight or tomorrow morning," Kidney said. "We just want to see exactly where Jamie is. We wouldn't like to say he's definitely out - not until we get the report from the specialist.

"The money is probably against him but we'll keep our options open until the news is definitely bad. Stephen Ferris looks like he has a good chance of being okay for next week."

Ireland enter the Six Nations with a lengthy injury list that also includes John Hayes, Shane Horgan, Geordan Murphy, Andrew Trimble, Rob Kearney and Jerry Flannery.

"You never like to see guys injured - we know how much playing for Ireland means to those guys," Kidney said. "They'd be gutted were they to lose out at this stage of the season but we've also tried to build a squad over the last few years and this will be the test of that.

"I have a huge belief in the way Irish rugby comes from the grass roots up. Of course there won't be as much video analysis on the new guys so that will be an advantage."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

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