Marshall reveals his back-breaking ascent to the top

They say you need backbone to be a success in professional sport but ahead of his Test debut for Ireland against Scotland on Sunday, centre Luke Marshall has revealed he has spent the last 10 years playing with a broken bone in his back.

The 21-year-old Ulster man will answer Ireland’s call at Murrayfield this weekend as he stands in for the injured Gordon D’Arcy at inside centre, capping a rapid rise to the top alongside provincial team-mate Paddy Jackson, who was on Wednesday named at fly-half by head coach Declan Kidney.

Marshall, though, is unique in having ascended to Test rugby with a chipped bone in his lower back, the result of a childhood accident which went undiagnosed for several years.