THE news for this weekend’s second round of the Six Nations has been mainly centred on two flyhalves who earlier caused concerns that they could be sidelined due to medical issues.
But word is out that both Dan Biggar of Wales and Johnny Sexton of Ireland have been cleared by their respective medical teams to start on Saturday, in Cardiff against Scotland and in Paris against France respectively.
Biggar sprained an ankle last weekend against Ireland and had to be replaced after 20 minutes by Rhys Priestland.
It was earlier thought that he would be out for between three and five weeks but his recovery has been described by coach Warren Gatland as miraculous as he prepares his boys for what will most likely be a ninth consecutive win for Wales over the Scots in this competition.
Last year they triumphed 26-23 at Murrayfield but the year before that the Scots were soundly trounced 51-3.
In the last 12 encounters between them, the Scots managed only one win and that was back in 2007.
If Wales triumph again this weekend, it will be further indictment of the limitations facing Scottish rugby, not only from a tactical perspective but also in relation to the lack of talents.
The more serious concern from a longer-term perspective is that of the concussion issue affecting the 30-year-old Sexton, a problem that once kept him out of rugby for three months late in 2014 and early 2015.
That was after a period during which Sexton suffered four concussions in a year.
Recently he was involved in a clash of heads while playing for Leinster against Wasps but the club issued a clarification saying that while the doctor didn’t think Sexton was fit enough to resume playing after an evaluation, the problem wasn’t a concussion.
French brain specialist Jean-Francois Chermann, the doctor who recommended the three-month lay-off, has cleared Sexton to play but added that the concern for the longer-term would be if Sexton suffered two blows to the head in succession.
Due to his history with concussion, an Irish rugby commentator has even advised Sexton to quit the game while he hasn’t faced a more threatening medical problem.
Many of the encounters that led to this problem are attributed to the way Sexton plays, both in attack and in defence. He tends to go higher than most against his opponents, in a straight up style with his upper body.
That concussion can lead to worse, longer term issues is not disputed.
It was a problem that affected former All Blacks fullback Leon McDonald, who decided to quite the game for good in 2010 after suffering one in a club game the year before and a few other times while an All Black.
Current All Blacks No. 8 Kieran Read had concussions too in 2014 and 2015 and in 2014 was asked to take a break for two months.
Also this weekend England faces an Italy that can take some positives from their close defeat in Paris last week.
One player who is upbeat about new coach Eddie Jones so far is No. 8 Billy Vunipola, who feels a more relaxed atmosphere within the squad, with more socialising and bonding possible compared to the four years when Stuart Lancaster was in charge.
But unlike England’s rugby history with the heavyweights, they have played against Italy only since 1991 and have won all 21 encounters, which means a clean sweep in the Six Nations since the inaugural competition in 2000.
In 2012 the margin of victory was only four and the following year, seven, but the last two years have been bad for the Italians. They got hammered 52-11 in Rome in 2014 and 47-17 last year at Twickenham.
Despite Italy’s reasonably decent game against the French, it’s highly unlikely England will be troubled on Sunday.