McLaughlin allays fears over Ferris injury

ULSTER coach Brian McLaughlin put Ireland boss Declan Kidney’s mind at ease after star flanker Stephen Ferris hobbled off in Saturday’s 43-6 Heineken Cup success over Aironi but insisted afterwards there is little cause for concern.

“I think he’s just taken a bit of a bang on his knee but there are no problems there at all. We only took him off as a precautionary measure,” he said.

The injury-prone Ferris was replaced in the 57th minute at the Stadio Luigi Zaffanella, sparking fears his participation in the Six Nations opener against Italy in Rome on February 5 may be in jeopardy.

The knock did not prevent Ferris from joining in the celebrations in the Ulster dressing room after the province had produced a powerful second-half display to secure a bonus-point win which sealed their place in the Heineken Cup quarter-finals for the first time since lifting the trophy in 1999. South African Johann Muller may have only arrived in the province last summer but the Ulster skipper was well aware of the significance of the feat.

“It’s a pretty special feeling,” the lock said. “I think in the first half we went the wrong way about things and tried to throw the ball around a bit too much. And a side like Aironi thrives on that; they capitalise on mistakes.

Getting out of the pool stages for the first time in 12 years is an achievement but, from our perspective, it’s only the beginning. We’re only at the bottom of the mountain now and we’ve still got a fair bit to climb.”