Rugby:While the Irish management retain the hope Tomás O'Leary may yet come back into the equation for the games against Wales and England, as expected Stephen Ferris has effectively been ruled out for the rest of the Six Nations, and his chances of playing for Ulster in the Heineken Cup quarter-finals are touch and go, writes Gerry Thornley.
Ferris aggravated an old injury in his left knee in Ulster’s 43-6 win away to Aironi on January 22nd and, having undergone a couple of scans, hasn’t played since.
“I think it’s fair to say that we can rule Stephen Ferris out of the rest of the Six Nations so he is gone for those two games,” said Ireland team manager Paul McNaughton. “Tomás O’Leary is continuing rehab with his back and we are not ruling him out of any games at this stage.”
As for Ferris’ chances of featuring for Ulster in their Heineken Cup quarter-final away to Northampton five weeks from Saturday, McNaughton said: “It’s too early to say. He is down for a consultant’s visit to London this weekend and they will know more about that, but it is too early to write him out of the Heineken Cup game at this stage.”
