“And you can quote me on that!”
Stephen Ferris did not need much prompting. He was ready to spill it.
The Ulster and Ireland legend is not happy with how Simon Zebo has been treated by Ireland. He is even less pleased with the goings on at his beloved Ulster.
Ferris joined The Hard Yards this week and did not hold back with criticisms of Schmidt, the IRFU and a host of figures that have promised so much at the northern province and failed to deliver.
Ferris believes Simon Zebo, who will leave Munster for France at the end of the season, has been shoddily treated by Joe Schmidt. Despite the fact that Zebo is contracted to Munster until June 2018, and is the form fullback in Ireland, Schmidt has not included him in his squad for the November internationals. Ferris declared:
“I really, really feel sorry for Simon Zebo. It was very petty of Joe Schmidt, they way it has all been handled.
“Simon Zebo is a Munster player, he’s playing his rugby within Ireland – he’s putting his body on the line, week-in, week-out. He’s representing Munster with a lot of heart, passion and commitment. So why can’t he represent Ireland? It’s exactly the same, because you know you’ll get that [from him].
“He brings something completely different at fullback and he’s be my starting fullback [for Ireland]… Rob Kearney is rock solid. We all know what he’s good at; good in the air very good left boot. But you put Simon Zebo in against South Africa and you get the ball back for a counter-attack, you want Zebo on the ball.”
Ferris admitted he was surprised to learn that Zebo had not been offered a central contract by the IRFU, just a provincial deal. “There’s plenty of those contracts in Leinster,” he remarked.
On the subject of Ulster’s recent stutters – two heavy defeats against La Rochelle and Leinster – Ferris cut loose.
“The Ulster fans are not happy,” he noted. “It’s getting hostile up there.”
The former Ulster flanker believes the try of Jordan Larmour, where he stepped Iain Henderson and debutant Aaron Cairns, sums up one of the big issues at the province right now.
“Iain was corner flagging, but if someone steps inside, the man inside should be a bumper or at least clip the guy to slow him down. There was no-one there and the young kid [Larmour] said, ‘Hold on a second!’.. That’s where Ulster are. They’re littered with mistakes.”
Ulster are doing reasonably well in the Guinness PRO14 [five wins, two defeats] but Ferris believes their victories have been against opposition they should be beating. The win over Scarlets was decent but he did not make much of a “brutal” Dragons side that still managed to rack up 25 points in a losing cause. Ferris continued:
“I ask myself how many of that Ulster team would make the Saracens team or the Leinster team? Especially the pack, when I look at them – from 1 to 8 – who would get onto the Saracens team? There’s none. Possibly Iain Henderson.
“Rory Best? Now, he didn’t have a great game at the weekend. He’s great in a green jersey but we haven’t seen too much of him in an Ulster jersey… But you need to have three or four guys in your pack that you can rely on each week, and Ulster just don’t have it.”
One can really sense the frustration in Ferris’ voice as he lists the slip-ups they have had and the promises that have not been met by senior figures at the club. The full interview is definitely worth a listen and has provoked a big response on social media.
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