Former Ireland flanker Stephen Ferris has hit out at the hardline stance taken by Joe Schmidt and the IRFU which has resulted in both Simon Zebo and Tadhg Beirne being omitted from the coach’s Six Nations squad.

Former Munster and international back rower Alan Quinlan believes that Ireland can learn a lot of lessons from what happened in the build-up to the 2007 World Cup as they prepare for this season’s tournament.

Injury curtailed Stephen Ferris’s rugby career but the former Ulster star is far from bitter, writes Michael Moynihan