Simon Easterby, one of Harrogate's former players, has been ruled out of Ireland's Six Nations opener against Italy in Rome tomorrow week.

The Llanelli flanker, who has seven caps, is currently injured. There's also no room for his brother, Guy, who joined Llanelli at the start of this season and is undestudy to Welsh international scrum-half Rupert Moon.

The Easterbys are from Tadcaster and both learned their rugby at Ampleforth College.

Another absentee is highly-rated Leinster centre Brian O'Driscoll, regarded as a certainty to tour Australia with the British Lions this summer. He has failed to recover from a shoulder injury sustained playing for his province in the Heineken Cup last weekend.

O'Driscoll and Easterby were omitted from coach Warren Gatland's plans when he named a 22-strong squad, with Bath's Kevin Maggs or Mike Mullins, of Young Munster, set to take O'Driscoll's place against the Azzurri.

Ireland are also without O'Driscoll's Leinster team-mate, winger Denis Hickie, but hope that both players will be fit for the home game against France on February 17.

Updated: 12:13 Friday, January 26, 2001