Hooker McBryde has toe surgery

The Wales and Llanelli hooker, Robin McBryde, will miss the start of the Six Nations' Championship. The 32-year-old has had surgery on a long-standing toe problem and is expected to be out for up to six weeks. He will miss the games against Italy on 15 February and England a week later; and the trip to Scotland on 8 March will probably come too soon. But Llanelli fans will want McBryde to be back to full fitness for their Heineken Cup quarter-final in early April.

The prospects of peace in Wales took a step forward after a meeting between the Welsh Rugby Union group chief executive, David Moffett, and the Premiership clubs yesterday. Six of the eight clubs present agreed on a plan for four regional entities split 50-50 between each of those involved, to be entered into Celtic League and European competition next season. They would be Swansea and Llanelli, Neath and Bridgend, Pontypridd and Cardiff, plus Newport and Ebbw Vale.

The move would replace Moffett's franchise plan, which could have seen control of the regional side passing to what the WRU considered the best bidder. Should the idea be approved, it will be presented to the Welsh Rugby Union's 239 member clubs at an EGM on 23 February.

Steve Bates is in talks with Newcastle about his future at the struggling Premiership side. Bates has been a key member of the Falcons' coaching staff since joining his former Wasps half-back partner, Rob Andrew, on Tyneside seven years ago, but he was recently handed a different role, which involved technical analysis of opposition teams. He is thought to be unhappy with the change.

The Edinburgh Academicals centre PJ Solomon has been banned for 21 weeks by the Scottish Rugby Union Discipline Panel after being sent off for the third time in his career. Solomon punched Heriot's hooker, David Linton, during a BT Cup match in December.

Another player to be sent off for the third time in his career, Biggar's prop Gordon Tweedie, has been banned for 30 weeks. Tweedie was dismissed for butting an opponent during a friendly against Peebles in December.