Injury blow for Peel

My Account
Logout

Create an Evening Standard Account

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Welcome! Sign in here

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Forgot your password ?

Registration

* indicates fields that are mandatory

Email *

Password *

Confirm Password *

First name *

Surname *

Postcode *

Country *

Mobile phone number

Username *

Gender *

Year of birth *

When you sign up...

You will have access to all our online competitions, discounted offers and can post comments on our site.

You will also receive The Weekender newsletter sent every Thursday - it’s full of fantastic offers and ideas for the weekend. You can update your email preferences in your account page when you log in.

Other newsletters and emails

Homes & Property Newsletter - Yes I want to receive the weekly email with all the latest news on property in the capital

Occasionally we would also like to send you relevant emails detailing specific offers either from ourselves or carefully selected partners. If you would prefer not to receive these then please tick the appropriate boxes below. We will never pass on your details.

I do not want to receive additional offers and information from the Evening Standard

I do not want to receive additional offers and information sent by Evening Standard on behalf of carefully selected partners

Terms and Conditions

* I have read, understood and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of Evening Standard

Registration

Mail Sent for Registration Confirmation.

A confirmation email has been sent. Please activate your account by clicking on the activation link sent in your mail box.

It appears a hamstring injury will deny Sale Sharks scrum-half Peel the chance of his first Test match start since last season's RBS 6 Nations Championship.

Peel, hurt during Sharks' Guinness Premiership home defeat against Newcastle on Sunday, is due to undergo a scan, and Wales team physiotherapist Mark Davies said: "The news thus far is not great. Dwayne was unable to travel on Sunday night but was expected to travel on Monday. We will make a further assessment later, having had the results of the scan as well."

Mike Phillips is on standby to wear the Wales number nine shirt against Italy in Rome on Saturday, and there could be an unexpected bench role for London Irish fringe player Warren Fury, the 23-year-old who was capped twice during Wales' South Africa tour last summer.

Fury, who is effectively fourth choice scrum-half at Irish, has not featured for his club since their European Challenge Cup victory over Italian minnows Rovigo on January 24.

To compound matters for Wales head coach Warren Gatland, two other scrum-half options - Gareth Cooper (groin) and Martin Roberts (rib) - are both under an injury cloud.

Peel, the 2005 Lions Test scrum-half in New Zealand, has won six caps as a replacement for Wales this season, understudying Cooper and then Phillips.

He was one of 10 changes made by Gatland to the Rome-bound starting XV following Wales' Grand Slam-ending defeat against France in Paris, but if Peel is ruled out of the Stadio Flaminio clash, it could also blow his last realistic chance of impressing Lions boss Ian McGeechan prior to this summer's South Africa tour.

Davies added: "Martin Roberts sustained a rib cartilage injury on Sunday and went off in the second half. He is obviously very sore and we plan to run a few more tests on him.

"Gareth Cooper has fully recovered from his knee operation and he has had groin problems as well. He had some treatment and an injection for his groin last week. He has been under the care of Gloucester and we are awaiting a full report from them."