Stephen Ferris: "I think Ireland are just the better team"

The Ireland team is out and Chris Farrell and Andrew Porter are now primed to face Wales, replacing Tadhg Furlong and Robbie Henshaw in the process.

Ahead of Saturday's Six Nations clash at Aviva Stadium which could see Ireland make it three from three with victory, Nathan was joined by ex-Ireland and Ulster flanker Stephen Ferris and the Irish Independent's Ruaidhri O'Connor to run the rule over the team.

Ferris backed the relatively inexperienced Porter to stand up to the challenge posed by the Welsh scrum and front row at the Aviva Stadium.   

"I don't think it will be the scrum worrying me," he said.

"I think the scrum's going to be 50:50. It's the minutes that the ball's going to be in play. These guys will just not have experienced the ball being in play for close to 50 minutes in a game." 

But he admitted that the nervousness he experienced pre-match is even more extensive now.

"I was nervous going into this game before the team announcement today and I'm even more nervous now just because of the quality that the Welsh are bringing back in and the quality the Irish are losing." 

However, he does believe the Irish squad has an edge on the opposition, stating that, "I think Ireland are just the better team".

Another change in the team is Devin Toner coming in for the injured Iain Hendrson and Ferris feels the loss of the Ulster man is "huge" given his athleticism and power, while he also described the game against Wales as the "biggest game of James Ryan's life" so far alongside Toner in the second row.