Sale Sharks are bracing themselves for the premature departure, at the end of this season, of Sébastien Chabal. The France No8, who has become a popular figure in Stockport, has discussed with Philippe Saint-Andre, the director of rugby, the possibility of terminating his contract for personal reasons.

Chabal is due to remain in England until 2011, but his daughter is studying in France and his family have been there since the summer. “There is no problem with him on a sporting level,” Saint-Andre said. “It's a question of problems outside the game, an estrangement from his family which is weighing too heavily on him.”

Robin McBryde will coach Wales on next summer's tour to North America while Warren Gatland is away with the Lions.

Declan Kidney, the Ireland head coach, has asked Brian O'Driscoll to extend his run as captain through next month's internationals. The centre twisted a knee playing for Leinster against London Wasps last weekend but was named in a squad of 41 yesterday that includes five England-based players, Bob Casey (London Irish), Geordan Murphy (Leicester), Eoin Reddan (Wasps), Mike Ross (Harlequins) and Roger Wilson (Northampton).

Ireland training squad (v Canada, November 8; New Zealand, Nov 15; and Argentina, Nov 22): Backs: T Bowe (Ospreys), I Dowling (Munster), G Dempsey (Leinster), G Duffy (Connacht), K Earls (Munster), L Fitzgerald (Leinster), S Horgan (Leinster), R Kearney (Leinster), G Murphy (Leicester), B Murphy (Munster), B O'Driscoll (Leinster, captain), R O'Gara (Munster), T O'Leary (Munster), E Reddan (London Wasps), J Sexton (Leinster), P Stringer (Munster), A Trimble (Ulster), P Wallace (Ulster). Forwards: R Best (Ulster), T Buckley (Munster), R Caldwell (Ulster), R Casey (London Irish), T Court (Ulster), S Ferris (Ulster), J Flannery (Munster), J Hayes (Munster), C Healy (Leinster), J Heaslip (Leinster), M Horan (Munster), B Jackman (Leinster), S Jennings (Leinster), D Leamy (Munster), D O'Callaghan (Munster), P O'Connell (Munster), M O'Kelly (Leinster), M O'Driscoll (Munster), A Quinlan (Munster), M Ross (Harlequins), D Ryan (Munster), D Wallace (Munster), R Wilson (Northampton).