Rory Best’s battle to keep incredible record alive goes down to the wire

Ireland are erring on the side of caution with the fitness of Rory Best.

The hooker sat out Ireland's final training session, in Rome, ahead of their Six Nations clash against Italy on Saturday. Best missing the Captain's Run at Stadio Olimpico on Friday caused some concern among fans but an IRFU spokesperson assured reporters that it was merely a precaution as the Ulsterman was feeling ill. As he is fighting off a virus, it was decided that he would be better off missing the light session in order to secure a full recovery. https://twitter.com/SportsJOEdotie/status/830079898509332482 It's a few hours before the 2:25pm kick-off and it is still unknown if Ireland's captain will be ready for the clash against the Italians. Uncapped Munster hooker Niall Scannell is waiting in the wings should Best be unable to tog out while Leinster's James Tracy is also in Italy to come in as back-up. No decision had been made about Best's involvement by Saturday morning with Ireland able to leave the announcement until they team sheets get handed out to the press. Should Best miss the match, it would mark the the first Six Nations game he's missed in over 10 years, ending his incredible run at 51 games in a row.