For once Brian Ashton was able to travel home from an international yesterday without contemplating a gloomy list of injured players. Victory over Italy in Rome on Sunday may have been a scratchy affair, but the England head coach can contemplate at the very least the return of his first-choice props when the RBS Six Nations Championship resumes on February 23.

Phil Vickery, his captain, had recovered sufficiently from a stomach upset to join the team on their flight from Rome, though the London Wasps prop was too unwell to attend the 23-19 win at the Stadio Flaminio 24 hours earlier. Andrew Sheridan, the Sale Sharks loose-head who withdrew with an abscess near his Achilles tendon, is improving rapidly and could even be in contention for his club when they play Leeds Carnegie on Friday in the Guinness Premiership if the scar tissue has healed.

Philippe Saint-Andre, the Sale director of rugby, may be able to pick from the loose-heads of France and England, who meet at the Stade de France in 11 days' time. Lionel Faure has made a good impression in his first Six Nations and will remain in the squad that France will confirm tomorrow. Ashton, though, will be happy enough with the performance of Tim Payne and Matt Stevens, his props against Italy, and, since Steve Borthwick made such a good fist of leading the side, does not have to hurry Vickery back.

The prognosis for Lewis Moody's readiness to face France is not so clear-cut as the Leicester flanker recovers from the strained Achilles he sustained during the defeat by Wales. His club had believed that he might be considered against London Irish on Sunday but it will be a bonus for Ashton if England can consider Moody.

Olly Barkley, the Bath centre omitted from England's championship squad until the legal proceedings in which he is involved are concluded, will appear before Aylesbury magistrates on Thursday for a committal hearing. Barkley, charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm, was due to appear yesterday but applied successfully for an adjournment.

Wales will name their starting XV today to play Italy on February 23 in Cardiff. Warren Gatland, their head coach, wants to keep his squad fresh and to give any changed units time to settle. Scotland, who play Ireland in Dublin on the same day, have concerns over Jason White, their captain, who took a blow to the head during the defeat by Wales last Saturday.

Jim Williams, the former Australia flanker, will leave Munster after a seven-year association to become assistant coach to the Wallabies. He will join Michael Foley in a new coaching panel headed by Robbie Deans.