ROSS IS BACK TO FITNESS

ROSS MORIARTY feared for his career after a horror back injury left him unable to climb the stairs.

But now the Wales No8 is fit and ready to tear into Scotland in today’s Six Nations opener.

Moriarty has been involved in just three games all season after suffering the problem in the Lions tour opener against New Zealand Provincial Barbarians (inset) in June.

The 23-year-old said: “Two of the discs slipped in my back and jammed into the nerves of my legs. The muscles in my legs stopped working so I’ve had to learn to use them again.

“I couldn’t run, I couldn’t stand on one leg and I couldn’t walk up or down the stairs. Both the nerves jammed so the muscles in my back would completely switch off.

“Sometimes I’d stand up and the nerve would get jammed by the disc and I’d fall over. It was quite a tough time.” Moriarty saw four different surgeons in a bid to sort the problem but none would operate as the risk to his longterm health was too great.

But he added: “Now my back is working properly and I’m really happy. It’s taken a lot to get back, I’m just grateful to playing.” WALES: L Halfpenny; J Adams, S Williams, H Parkes, S Evans; R Patchell, G Davies; R Evans, K Owens, S Lee, C Hill, AW Jones (capt), A Shingler, J Navidi, R Moriarty SCOTLAND: S Hogg; T Seymour, C Harris, H Jones, B Mcguigan; F Russell, A Price; G Reid, S Mcinally, J Welsh, B Toolis, J Gray, J Barclay (capt), H Watson, C Du Preez.