HALFPENNY TO MISS SIX NATIONS OPENER DUE TO HEAD INJURY

LEIGH HALFPENNY looks set to miss the start of Wales’ Guinness Six Nations campaign.

The Scarlets full-back (above) has not played since suffering concussion during Wales’ victory over Australia on November 10.

Halfpenny has seen a specialist and Scarlets head coach Wayne Pivac reported yesterday that the player would not feature for “three to five weeks”.

Wales’ opening Six Nations game is against France in Paris in February 1, followed by an appointment with Italy in Rome eight days later.

Halfpenny, 30, went off late in the Australia match after being on the receiving end of a late challenge from Wallabies centre Samu Kerevi, who avoided any punishment.

He was selected to play for the Scarlets against Cardiff Blues 10 days ago but was a late withdrawal after suffering headaches.

And Pivac (inset) has now revealed the outcome of 80 times-capped Halfpenny’s further medical assessment.

“Leigh has seen the specialist and won’t be used for the next three to five weeks,” Pivac said. “He will continue training and doing what he’s been doing and then he will be reassessed.

“It will be somewhere between three to five weeks but these things take time. That’s the time-frame we’re looking at. “Leigh won’t play before that time, that will be the earliest. We will pass on the medical information to the Welsh Rugby Union.

“That will then be Warren Gatland’s call as to what he does because the tournament runs for longer than that.”