Quinlan Delighted To Be Included

While Munster’s Alan Quinlan will not for one second luxuriate in the opportunity that Stephen Ferriss’s misfortune affords him, he will nevertheless make the most of his inclusion on the bench for the game against Italy.

Ferris has been forced to withdraw from the Ireland replacements named for Friday’s game against Italy in Ravenhill because of a knee injury sustained in training on Tuesday and Quinlan steps up to take the Ulster man’s place on the bench.

“Obviously you don’t want to see your chance coming on foot of a team-mate’s injury but that’s the way it is”, said Quinlan. ” I suppose it could happen the other way around, Stephen coming in for me, that’s the nature of the game. But we’re part of a squad now and I know if the call comes I have a job to do. He’d be the same. So it’s really a question of doing your best for the team.

“It’s a little different this time around to what it was a few weeks ago. Then it might have been a case of him looking for my spot and vice versa, now we are both in the World Cup squad, we’re team-mates. I don’t like to see him ruled out like this but at the same time, I’m delighted to be getting the chance to pull on the Irish jersey. I make no apologies for that. In the circumstances, if the shoe were on the other foot, . I could have no complaints.”