Rapid recovery: George North

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Wales received a huge fitness boost ahead of the Six Nations with the news that Scarlets wing George North will return to action in the next fortnight.

There was concern over the extent of the head and neck injuries North sustained against Ulster at Ravenhill over the past weekend.

But the Scarlets revealed that medics confirmed the Wales speedster only suffered soft tissue damage to the neck and he can return to playing sooner rather than later.

He could play in Saturday's Heineken Cup clash against Leinster but it appears more likely he will make his return against Clermont on January 19.

Wales kick off their Grand Slam defence against Ireland in Cardiff on February 2.

"George's symptoms were as if he had a serious spinal injury so we always take the precautionary route in those cases," Scarlets medical chief Andrew Walker told Walesonline.

"He was put on a spinal board as a precaution. Fortunately, the scan and x-rays he had were clear so we are just dealing with some soft tissue trauma at the moment.

"Whether he turns around for this week is a possibility. We haven't ruled him out yet. We'll see how he goes in the next few days."