Court over nightmare, insists Ross

Ulster’s Tom Court returns to Twickenham for the first time tomorrow since his traumatic appearance against England last March — but Mike Ross believes the Ulster prop has already exorcised his St Patrick’s Day demons.

Court was pressed into service on the unfamiliar tighthead side of the scrum shortly before half-time in the Six Nations clash when a neck injury suffered in the first set-piece finally forced Ross from the field. The result was utter carnage.

By the time it was over, Ireland had been battered 30-9 and the scrum had conceded a penalty try, six penalties and lost three against the head. The post-mortem must have been almost as uncomfortable for Court.