Flanker Ferris finding form

IT takes one hell of a player to keep Munster pair Denis Leamy and Alan Quinlan out of the Ireland number six shirt, yet through the first three games of this so far unbeaten Six Nations tournament, that is exactly what Stephen Ferris had done.

Leamy was back in the team for Saturday’s win over Scotland, but he was at number eight, Jamie Heaslip the man to lose out.

Ferris was still there and, with contact his forte, Scottish number eight Simon Taylor knew all about it less than a minute into the contest.