RUGBY:IN MAKING eight changes in personnel, and one positional switch, for Saturday night's rendezvous with the French, not for the first time in his career Declan Kidney made it virtually impossible to second guess his selection. One thing is clear though, and that is that the Irish management are working off a pre-ordained plan.
That much Kidney effectively admitted yesterday when revealing that events in Murrayfield had little impact on this selection, and that he also has next week’s two games against Connacht, on Thursday, and France tomorrow week, in mind.
In the continuing absence of Brian O’Driscoll, Gordon D’Arcy and Stephen Ferris, along with Tommy Bowe, who it has emerged twisted his foot and hasn’t trained fully for the last two weeks, Keith Earls comes in alongside Paddy Wallace in midfield. Earls dislikes being a utility back, but will now have played at 15, 11 and 13 in successive Tests.
Eoin Reddan and Ronan O’Gara, another reportedly flying in training, form a new halfback combination, while the established first-choice frontrow of Cian Healy, Rory Best and Mike Ross return, as do Donncha O’Callaghan and Seán O’Brien, with Donnacha Ryan, perhaps significantly, switches from lock to start at blindside ahead of Kevin McLaughlin.
Opportunity knocks for Ryan, though against a monstrous backrow of Thierry Dusautoir, Imanol Harinordoquy and Raphael Lakafia this will be a test of his physicality as well as his mobility. Somewhat surprisingly therefore, Jamie Heaslip and Paul O’Connell, make their seasonal returns off the bench, while there is still no place for David Wallace.
O’Connell has only started a dozen games, along with three appearances off the bench, dating back over 17 months since 2010 and therefore would appear to have fallen into the category of those most in need of game time.
Meanwhile, having turned 35 last month, the remarkable Wallace – whom Kidney admitted is “doing fine” and “training away” – is thus one of only three fit players in the 44-man squad who will have had had no game time for province or country by the end of this weekend.
In an overall context, Kidney commented: “You go into these things with a plan alright but in any plan you need the courage to be able to stay with it but also the wisdom to know when to adapt it as well.
“There were a few things that happened last week that modified this, but I suppose I had this team in mind before we went into last week.”
“The back three went well last week I thought,” he added, “when the ball was kicked back down to them. They came back with a bit of purpose and Fergus (McFadden) added to that. Keith can add to it, because that is such a big part of the game now, too.
“There are a whole heap of things I’m trying to get out of this but I don’t want to put the hex on them. We need to up our performance from last week, we know that. We need to hang on to the ball a little bit longer, we need not be as excited in trying things as we were last week and be a little patient in holding on to it.”
Kidney clearly wants to utilise his squad in New Zealand but the desire to hit the ground running against the USA Eagles first up, a fortnight after the farewell against England and a week’s respite in Queenstown, limits the scope here to the third game against Russia.
Thus, while the likes of O’Connell, Wallace, not to mention O’Driscoll and Bowe, are clearly being marked for plenty of work from next week onwards, others are getting game time under their belts now.
There is likely to be a debut for one of the potential bolters, Conor Murray, who joins Felix Jones and McFadden on the bench (Paddy Wallace would appear to be covering outhalf).
Kidney paid tribute to the underage and academy structures for Murray’s emergence, and admitted that he had the other four scrumhalves in mind for the plane to New Zealand before Murray’s strong finish to last season.
“He’s trained well, and there are a few other things I wanted to try out as well, I thought it was worth including him in the 22. If he comes on, great, if he doesn’t then he’s not going to lose for the experience. But it’s one thing training in Carton House, it’s quite another togging out in Bordeaux. It’d be a bit livelier I’d imagine.”
Kidney is patently excited about this game, and concurs that this match scarcely justifies the term ‘amical’. “That’s the great thing about rugby, isn’t it? The game itself just emits honesty. You’re either up for it or you’re not. If you get a chance to put on a jersey, whether it’s an Ireland jersey or a French jersey, there’s only one way to play. There is no hiding. You either play and put yourselves forward; otherwise you shouldn’t be out there.”
Bowe should return next week while encouragingly Ferris “is playing a much greater part in training now”. Furthermore, O’Driscoll and D’Arcy have begun light contact work.
Kidney is “reasonably hopeful” O’Driscoll will play next week, and is hopeful “without the reasonable bit” regarding D’Arcy and Ferris. “There’s no point in rushing a guy at this stage. Patience is going to be a big part of this now as well, because you want to get them right, to give them every chance of going to the World Cup.”
World Cup Warm-up France V Ireland, tomorrow, Bordeaux, 7.45pm
