Injury Setback for Rhys Webb Return

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Rhys Webb’s hopes of a Wales recall against France have received a setback. The scrum-half has not played for Wales since suffering a foot ligament injury during a World Cup warm-up game against Italy in September.

Webb, Welsh rugby’s player of the year, returned from injury on Sunday as the Ospreys beat Munster 20-17 in Cork. The 27-year-old, suffered a head injury and is extremely doubtful for Edinburgh’s Pro12 visit to the Liberty Stadium on Friday.

“It’s disappointing for us but more importantly it’s about Rhys,” the coach, Steve Tandy, said. “I don’t think it’ll keep him out for too long but with these head injury assessments you’ve got to make sure players are at the forefront of these decisions. Rhys is extremely doubtful [for the Edinburgh game].”

The Scarlets scrum-half Gareth Davies has made a considerable impact in Webb’s absence. Davies scored a try in Wales’ World Cup win over England at Twickenham and claimed another stunning solo score during the Six Nations victory over Scotland in Cardiff on Saturday.

Webb had been hoping to impress the Wales coaching staff this weekend before France’s visit to the Principality Stadium on 26 February.

Having edged out Scotland 27-23 on the back of a draw with Ireland in Dublin, Wales know victory over France should set up a title decider with England at Twickenham on 12 March. Wales’ final Six Nations game is at home to Italy on 19 March.

“Someone asked how we felt after the Ireland game,” said the Wales hooker Scott Baldwin. “The reality was then if we went on to win our remaining games we’d win the championship. Ireland have since lost, but we have two massive games coming up – against France and England – before finishing off against Italy. If we keep creating chances and finishing them off, we should be in a good place in two or three weeks’ time.”

Wales’ attacking creativity has been criticised in the opening two games but Baldwin believes they are on the right track after scoring three tries against Scotland.

"We improved this week and finished one or two off, but there are still opportunities we are creating that we are not taking,” he said. “It’s about nailing the little moments. When we start nailing those, we’ll start scoring a lot more tries.”

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Noves Proves Lucky Guy in Paris

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Guy Noves was spared an early embarrassment as France came from eight points behind to beat Italy 23-21 in the opening match of the Six Nations.

France had won all eight previous matches between the teams at the Stade de France but for long periods on Saturday, a ninth was in doubt, despite a revelatory try-scoring debut from Fiji-born wing Virimi Vakatawa.

Italy's two previous away wins in the championship they joined in 2000 both came at Scotland's expense, but they led with five minutes remaining in Paris.

Jules Plisson's long-range penalty ultimately broke their hearts and denied Jacques Brunel's side a famous victory and launchpad for this campaign, with Italy captain Sergio Parisse missing a last-gasp drop-goal attempt.

France's tries came from Vakatawa, Damien Chouly and Hugo Bonneval, with Italy's responses from Parisse, winning his 115th cap, and Carlo Canna.

Five hundred military personnel were employed to patrol the first major event to be staged at the Stade de France since the November attacks. President Hollande was present, as he was on the night of the attacks.

On the pitch, France were far from convincing. Noves had 22 years at the helm of Toulouse before taking the international job, winning 10 French league titles and four European crowns.

The 62-year-old will need to pep up the French performance significantly if they are to trouble Ireland on the same pitch next Saturday.

France rode their luck in the first half and might have gone to the dressing room behind, rather than 10-8 ahead. Italy centre Michele Campagnaro was tackled barely a yard from the line in the 40th minute following a scything run.

A warning shot from Italy came in the eighth minute when Canna slotted a 30-metre drop goal, but the fly-half later missed a pair of seemingly routine kicks.

On his debut for France, Toulouse scrum-half Sebastien Bezy also failed to drape himself in glory as he squandered three first-half shots at goal. He was later relieved, and Plisson took the glory.

France's wild-card winger Vakatawa made his first big impact in the 15th minute. Promoted from the Sevens ranks, without a Top 14 club and lacking 15-a-side experience, he looked right at home

Vakatawa darted over in the left corner for an eye-catching try after a spell of French pressure. Fed by Maxime Medard, he side-stepped Leonardo Sato to dot down.

Parisse hit back for Italy when he led a driving maul over the French line and grounded the ball, but Canna fluffed the conversion.

Impressive in spurts, France regained the lead with Gael Fickou orchestrating a tap-penalty move that saw Wenceslas Lauret send Chouly surging over in the right corner.

But there was no letting up from Italy after the break, Canna finally bisecting the posts after an infringement by Eddy Ben Arous to put the buoyant visitors in front, and they thrillingly led 18-10 after a converted try two minutes later.

Parisse was inches away but could not get the ball down. Italy kept possession and Canna steamed in before converting his own score.

A French lifeline arrived when Bonneval buried in at the left corner after a charging run from Vakatawa carried the hosts deep into Italian territory.

Plisson converted and then booted a 69th-minute penalty to inch France ahead at 20-18, but Kelly Haimona responded five minutes later after Uini Atonio was penalised.

It was then Parisse's turn to be penalised, and from 50 metres, Plisson nailed the match-winning kick.

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Messi Faces Tax Fraud Charges

Lionel Messi and his father should stand trial on tax fraud charges, a court in Spain has ruled.

The judge in charge of the case rejected the request by prosecutors to drop the charges against the striker.

Messi and his father Jorge are accused of defrauding Spain of more than €4m (£3.1m; $5m). They deny any wrongdoing.

Lawyers acting on behalf of the tax authorities demanded 22-month jail sentences for both defendants.

Prosecutors allege that Jorge avoided paying tax on his son's earnings by using offshore companies in Belize and Uruguay in 2007-09.

Messi's lawyers had argued that the player had "never devoted a minute of his life to reading, studying or analysing" the contracts, El Pais newspaper reportedearlier.

'Corrective payment'

"There are rational signs that the criminality was committed by both accused parties," wrote the judge in a court filing, according to the AFP news agency.

No date has been set for the trial of the 28-year-old footballer - the four-time World Player of the Year and one of the richest athletes in the world.

In June, the high court in Barcelona ruled that Messi should not be granted immunity for not knowing what was happening with his finances, which were being managed in part by his father.

The income related to Messi's image rights, including contracts with Banco Sabadell, Danone, Adidas, Pepsi-Cola, Procter and Gamble, and the Kuwait Food Company.

Messi and his father made a voluntary €5m "corrective payment" - equal to the alleged unpaid tax plus interest - in August 2013.

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Milan Hopes for H-Cup Final

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The 80,000-capacity home of AC Milan and Inter Milan football clubs has been confirmed as the 2015 venue by European Rugby Cup.

What form next season's competition will take, though, remains up in the air, with grave doubt surrounding the tournament's future beyond this term .

Leading English and French clubs are currently service a notice period to quit ERC-run competitions, and they intend taking part in a new Rugby Champions Cup next year.

ERC recently appointed a mediator, Canadian lawyer Graeme Mew, in the quest to reach agreement for a new tournament accord covering the Heineken Cup and Amlin Challenge Cup tournaments.

Premiership Rugby and France's Ligue Nationale de Rugby, though, say they have no intention of participating in ERC talks on October 23 and 24.

If the 2015 Heineken final happens, it would be the first time for Italy to stage it.

"We are especially proud that a Heineken Cup final could be staged in Italy, " Italian Rugby Federation president Alfredo Gavazzi said at the Italian launch of this season's Heineken and Amlin tournaments on Monday.

"This is a tournament which plays a key role in the continued development of our top clubs, and which also is critical for the progress of our national team.

"Regarding the future, I do not believe that an Anglo-French competition would be in any way suitable. The six unions have stated that they wish to keep the Heineken Cup, and they are absolutely united on this point of view.

"The Italian Federation also believes that it is crucial to keep four of our clubs in the Amlin Challenge Cup to allow our young players to develop. Overall, I am confident that an agreement can be reached.

ERC chairman Jean-Pierre Lux added: "We are in a difficult period for European club rugby, and I too hope that a solution can be found and then we can look forward to 2015 and a celebration of 20 years of European club rugby in Milan.

"It would be a shame if Italian rugby lost such a major opportunity to promote the game in their country."

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Barguil Wins Stage 13 Breakaway

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France's Warren Barguil broke clear in the final kilometre to win stage 13 of the Vuelta a Espana in Castelldefels.

The 21-year-old was involved in a 10-man breakaway in the final 40km of the 169km race from Valls.

The Argos-Shimano rider powered up a short uphill finish to secure his first professional win from Italy's Rinaldo Nocentini and Dutchman Bauke Mollema.

Italy's Vincenzo Nibali finished with his rivals to maintain his 31-second race lead over Ireland's Nicolas Roche.

With three mountainous stages coming up over the weekend, the main contenders were content to conserve their energy and let the breakaway riders contest the finish.

And with more experienced riders such as Michele Scarponi, Mollema and Nocentini keeping tabs on each other, Barguil slipped away to take the victory by seven seconds.

The group containing Nibali and Roche finished two minutes 43 seconds adrift.

Saturday's 14th stage takes the riders 155.7km from Baga to a summit finish in Andorra.

Result of stage 13

1. Warren Barguil (France / Argos) 4:00:13"

2. Rinaldo Nocentini (Italy / AG2R) +7"

3. Bauke Mollema (Netherlands / Belkin)

4. Ivan Santaromita (Italy / BMC Racing)

5. Xabier Zandio (Spain / Team Sky)

6. Amets Txurruka (Spain / Caja Rural)

7. Michele Scarponi (Italy / Lampre)

8. Egoi Martinez (Spain / Euskaltel)

9. Jerome Coppel (France / Cofidis) +24"

10. Benat Intxausti (Spain / Movistar) +2:34"

Overall standings after stage 13

1. Vincenzo Nibali (Italy / Astana) 49:29:02"

2. Nicolas Roche (Ireland / Saxo - Tinkoff) +31"

3. Alejandro Valverde (Spain / Movistar) +46"

4. Chris Horner (U.S. / RadioShack)

5. Joaquim Rodriguez (Spain / Katusha) +2:33"

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Lotus Want Kimi to Stay

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Lotus are doing everything they can to persuade Kimi Raikkonen to stay with them next season, the British team's principal Eric Boullier has said.

The 33-year-old Finn's future has been the subject of much recent speculation.

While saying he was hopeful that the 2007 world champion would not leave, Boullier admitted several unresolved issues need to be dealt with before any new contract talks could take place.

Raikkonen is 63 points behind leader Sebastian Vettel in the championship.

Frenchman Boullier added: "It's clear Kimi likes racing for us and would like to continue, which is a testament to all the hard work put in by everyone.

"From our perspective, we can see what a complete driver he is and how much he brings to the team in many different areas.

"Kimi wants to be assured we have everything in place to tackle the significant changes we will see in the sport next year.

"We're working hard to assure him Lotus is where he should be, and piece by piece we are getting all our ducks in a row."

In last Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix, brake failure forced Raikkonen out of a race for the first time in 39 grands prix.

Lotus believe the problem was caused by a helmet visor tear-off that blocked a cooling duct, so overheating the component.

Boullier concedes if Raikkonen is to remain in the title hunt over the remaining eight races, starting in Italy next weekend, he and the team cannot afford another retirement.

"We're studying all the data and working on ways to avoid a similar situation from happening in the future," added Boullier.

"It was unfortunate for Kimi to experience his retirement, but this is sometimes part of motor racing, so we must now switch our focus to Monza.

"We need to get Kimi back on the podium and consistently. His 'Did Not Finish' in Spa was the first he has had with Lotus and we certainly don't want to see any more this season.

"We all know the gap to Sebastian is not getting any smaller, but behind Seb the battle is quite tight as we've seen over the last few race.

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