Opportunity knocks for wing man McFadden

KNOCKING on doors is nothing new to Fergus McFadden after understudying Brian O’Driscoll and Gordon D’Arcy in the Leinster midfield.

It prompted a switch to the wing and now, as no less than five doors have shut in the face of injured rivals in the Ireland camp, a big one has opened in time for the Six Nations opener in Rome on Saturday against Italy.

With injuries decimating his back-three options with the loss of Tommy Bowe, Shane Horgan, Rob Kearney, Geordan Murphy and Andrew Trimble, Declan Kidney yesterday turned to 24-year-old centre-turned-wing McFadden for this weekend’s trip to the Italian capital.