DECLAN KIDNEY WAS inside the IRFU suite at the Aviva Stadium, talking to Sunday newspaper sportswriters, while a frantic few filed copy and edited a 20-minute team announcement into radio soundbites.
Others had time to pore back over the 39 names on the squad-list for the Six Nations opener and ask, “Who is left out?”
Not too many names came to mind.
That is the genius of the announcement, there are few contentious decisions so the Irish captaincy becomes the headline story and Kidney can focus on getting his team ready for a tilt at the Six Nations that may prove his last hurrah.
“Kevin McLaughlin!” someone finally declared. Ian Keatley’s name was mentioned next.
Kidney stepped in for another round of interviews and announced that McLaughlin may well be called into the squad as it is short on back-rows. As for Keatley, he is doing well this season, the coach explained, but there are already four out-halves in the squad.
English-based players such as Tom Hayes, Niall Morris or Ryan Caldwell could receive later call-ups but IRB’s Regulation 9 means foreign clubs are not entitled to release players unless a Test match or tournament is on the calendar.
All of the bases were covered.
The one, big call
The feel-good stories from the squad announcement came in the form of the young Connacht players’ [Robbie Henshaw and Dave McSharry] inclusion and Luke Fitzgerald being back in the Ireland set-up for the first time since August 2011.
The captaincy call — Jamie Heaslip over Brian O’Driscoll — is the one that will occupy Irish rugby supporters until this weekend, when the Heineken Cup quarter-final line-up come ups for decision.
“It’s obviously not an easy decision,” Kidney admitted, “but it’s one that I think is the correct one at this point in time.”
Heaslip and O’Driscoll discuss World Cup tactics with Eoin Reddan. (©INPHO/Dan Sheridan)
Preparing for his fifth campaign as Ireland’s coach for the Six Nations, Kidney was asked if he would agree he would take the flak for holding O’Driscoll back if Ireland were to have a poor campaign.
He told TheScore.ie, “Sometimes you can make the easy decisions but sometimes you have to go with the decision you believe is right. That is what I’ve done.
“I just consider what is right for the Irish team. Other people will make their decisions. I suppose that is the great thing about Irish sport – people will have their opinions on it.
Anyone who knows me would know it is not a decision I would make lightly. There are a lot of things about it. I’m just trying to look after Brian here and, if I’m wrong, I’m wrong for trying to look after a player.”
Kidney added, “I’ve always worked with Brian and I’ll work with Jamie too. Jamie’s captain for this Six Nations and, please God, we’ll lose as many as possible to the Lions in June, so somebody else will captain the squad [against the USA and Canada].
Sexton’s future
Kidney’s demeanour when questioned about Jonathan Sexton’s head being turned by Racing Metro and a massive salary bump suggested that the Leinster out-half will err on the side of Ireland.
The former Munster coach revealed that negotiations with Sexton would ‘be drawing to a conclusion fairly soon’ and added ‘I’d be fairly’ before checking himself to conclude that he would not like to pre-empt any announcements.
In reference to the exodus query, Kidney declared, “Hopefully everyone involved will make the right decisions to keep Jonny in Ireland so your question there wouldn’t do it.”
As if Sexton needed a nudge towards signing a new deal with Leinster and the IRFU, Kidney mentioned the difficulties involved with calling up Irish players based abroad.
“That would obviously affect him,” said Kidney. “With Tom Hayes and Ryan Caldwell not being available to us next week.
We had get-togethers in August and September, then we were in for a camp in November. Anybody who moves abroad, that prohibits their involvement in that.
“That’s a double-edged sword because it opens the door for somebody else. The player has to think about that as well. Players are very cognisant of that.”
No surprise, then, that Madigan is an unfamiliar but much welcome face in the Irish squad.
