British and Irish Lions

Ulster scrum-half Isaac Boss is expected to be fit for the beginning of Ireland's RBS 6 Nations campaign after undergoing an examination on his injured shoulder on Monday.

Boss had been a doubt for Ireland's game against Wales at the Millennium Stadium on February 4 when he injured his right shoulder during the early stages of Ulster's league win over Glasgow on Saturday.

Ulster confirmed the New Zealand-born player is suffering from "severe trauma to the AC joint in his right shoulder with extensive soft tissue damage and bruising."

While the club were reluctant to pinpoint a comeback date it is thought Boss will be fit by the beginning of February.

Ireland will announce an extended squad for the Six Nations championship next week.

Peter Stringer is set remain first-choice scrum-half but should Boss fail to recover in time Ireland would have a tricky decision to choose a new understudy.

Kieran Campbell, Guy Easterby and Eoin Reddan are all previously capped at scrum-half and will look to impress in the run up to the Six Nations.

Having become only the ninth Welshman to pick up a Heineken Cup winners medal, Gethin Jenkins is now getting ready for his next challenge - holding on to his British & Irish Lions Test spot.

Lions skipper Sam Warburton says the lessons he and his Welsh colleagues learnt in Australia last summer will stand them in good stead for their return visit with Britain and Ireland's elite next month.