Zebo & Heaslip in stitches as Stephen Ferris gets hilarious fright live on RTE
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Brilliant.
RTÉ’s Six Nations coverage produced an unexpected moment of comedy before Ireland clashed with Wales, when Stephen Ferris was left jumping in his seat after being caught off guard by the Aviva Stadium fireworks.
The former Ireland back-row was previewing the game alongside Simon Zebo and Jamie Heaslip when the pre-match pyrotechnics suddenly erupted nearby. Ferris visibly flinched at the noise, prompting immediate laughter from the rest of the panel and presenter Jacqui Hurley.
The moment was quickly picked up by cameras, with Zebo struggling to keep a straight face as the studio descended into laughter. Heaslip couldn’t resist piling on either, joking to his former teammate:
“I haven’t seen you move like that in a long time, Zeebs!”
Stephen ferris’s life flashed before his eyes at that moment 😂😂😂 Jamie heaslip was me on the floor #IREvWAL #SixNations pic.twitter.com/s1SQQVABs9
— máire cáit (@mairecait_mk) March 7, 2026
It was a light-hearted moment ahead of what turned out to be a far more tense contest on the pitch.
Ireland entered the Aviva Stadium clash as overwhelming favourites but were given far more than they bargained for by a dogged Welsh side determined to make life difficult for Andy Farrell’s men.
Despite dominating large stretches of possession and territory, Ireland struggled to shake Wales off early on, with the visitors producing a stubborn defensive display that kept the contest tight well into the second half.
Tries from Jacob Stockdale, Jack Crowley and Jack Conan helped Ireland edge ahead, but Wales refused to go quietly. The visitors produced one of the standout moments of the night when prop Rhys Carre crashed over for a sensational solo try just before half-time, injecting fresh life into the contest.
With the game still hanging in the balance late on, Jamie Osborne eventually put some daylight between the sides with a crucial try, while Crowley’s boot helped stretch the final margin to 27–17.
But while the match itself had its fair share of drama, it was Ferris’ startled reaction to the Aviva fireworks that provided one of the evening’s most memorable — and funniest — moments.
