Joe Schmidt will be given carte blanche to appoint his own backroom staff and, like Declan Kidney before him, the new Ireland coach will be told to scour the world for the best and brightest rugby minds to assist him over the next three years.

Peter O’Mahony has warned France not to expect Ireland to take a backward step in tomorrow’s clash of the vanquished at the Aviva Stadium.

The Six Nations hasn’t compared favourably in terms of quality with the Heineken Cup in recent years.

Munster pop Dave Kilcoyne is determined to make the most of his chance to impress on the international stage after being selected in Declan Kidney’s starting XV to take on Fiji in Saturday’s showdown at Thomond Park (5.30pm).

Munster loosehead prop Dave Kilcoyne looks set to start for Ireland against Fiji at Thomond Park on Saturday with national team forwards coach Gert Smal backing his “little killer” to shine.

Heyneke Meyer is happy for Richardt Strauss but the Springbok coach admits that the rising tide of South African players into the arms of covetous European unions is a serious cause for concern.

Gert Smal will require all his motivational skills to get his injury-hit pack ready for a manic onslaught from a fired-up New Zealand pack this weekend.

Ireland hooker Rory Best has backed his Ulster team-mate Declan Fitzpatrick to shine on his international debut against New Zealand tomorrow.

Gert Smal will rejoin the Ireland management team for next month’s three test series against New Zealand.

Anthony Foley will be announced as Munster’s new director of rugby/head coach in the next week or so, Evening Echo writer Conor George has reported today.

Not that it would happen, but if Anthony Foley were to face a “show us your medals” moment in his first week as Ireland’s stand-in forwards coach, he would be one of a select few to have savoured a Six Nations win in Paris.

Cast aside the disruption caused by the unscheduled absence of Ireland forwards coach Gert Smal and forget the frozen frustration of Paris, however well-placed the annoyance of the postponement and rescheduling debate surrounding the game with France.

Ireland’s ill-fated RBS 6 Nations suffered a fresh setback today when it was revealed forwards coach Gert Smal would take no further part in the championship.

Ireland forwards coach Gert Smal will take no further part in the RBS 6 Nations because of an eye condition.

Ireland forwards coach Gert Smal last night spoke of his decision to continue his role in Declan Kidney’s management set-up rather than pursue the head coaching role of his native South Africa.

ANY doubts about Gert Smal’s future with Ireland were put to rest in Limerick yesterday when head coach Declan Kidney insisted the South African would be seeing out his contract, despite rumours linking him with a move home.

IRELAND may be in to the last eight of a Rugby World Cup for the first time in eight years but that will not buy the players an easy week working with forwards coach Gert Smal.

Ireland’s forwards coach Gert Smal expects Italy to play to their strengths when they face Ireland in Dunedin and take Declan Kidney’s men on up front, specifically targeting the Irish scrum.

GERT SMAL and Nick Mallett’s careers have been intertwined for more than 30 years and Ireland’s forwards coach knows enough about the Italy boss to suggest his fellow South African will “do anything” to get his way on the rugby pitch.

IRELAND’S entire 30-man World Cup squad has been charged with building on last Saturday’s victory over Australia as the team management prepares to make changes for Sunday’s Pool C clash against Russia.

SATURDAY’s epic World Cup victory over Australia was kindled over a week of strong words and significant acts in the Ireland camp.

IT is not often that a forward pack which has held its own against the All Blacks and Springboks in recent weeks receives a schooling, but that was the impression left on the Australians after feeling the benefits of an Irish scrummaging education at Eden Park.

IRELAND forwards coach Gert Smal has issued a “Stop Pocock” order to his pack as he bids to clean up a problematic breakdown and counter Australia’s back-row menace.

IRELAND’S preparations for Saturday’s showdown with Pool C favourites Australia have been boosted by the return to fitness of prop Cian Healy.

Ireland may have endured a troubled build-up the World Cup but forwards coach Gert Smal remains convinced they possess “something special”.

DECLAN KIDNEY appears to be on the verge of recruiting Os du Randt as Ireland’s scrum coach for the upcoming Rugby World Cup.

IF things had turned out differently, Alex Corbisiero might have been rivalling Cian Healy for a place in Ireland’s front row rather than opposing him in an England jersey this weekend.

THREE games into his extended audition as Ireland’s number 15, and Luke Fitzgerald’s candid summation of his performances — good, but could do better — is one that could double for the team in general.

THE bad news keeps getting worse for Tomás O’Leary and Tony Buckley.

JAMIE HEASLIP has been through a fair share of physical battles during his 30-match Irish international rugby career, but he can’t remember any as tough as Argentina, who play at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday and renew what many would describe as hostilities rather than rivalries.

ON a day when several of Ireland’s injury problems cleared up, Argentina named their team for battle at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday two days earlier than expected.

Forwards coach Gert Smal insists the atmosphere in Ireland’s camp is good with the team invigorated by the prospect of Saturday’s clash with New Zealand.

IRELAND’S rugby players have the confidence and composure to take on the all-conquering All Blacks this weekend, despite the negativity swirling around them, says Stephen Ferris and forwards coach Gert Smal.

IRELAND debutant Devin Toner has been backed to successfully lead his country’s lineout out of the abyss into which it sank last weekend when Samoa come to the Aviva Stadium tomorrow.

IN another time, Sean Cronin’s commitment to Connacht rugby might have been seen as a bad career move. But, his selection for Ireland’s autumn Test with Samoa at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday tells a different story.

IT MAY well be that he is limited to a watching brief this weekend as Ireland go in search of the southern hemisphere win they so crave, but John Hayes has been backed to prove the doubters wrong and go all the way to next year’s World Cup.

RESPONSIBLE for one of the most famous punches ever thrown on a rugby field, Gert Smal came out swinging yesterday.

Gert Smal is confident the Ireland pack have the power to match New Zealand in Saturday’s Test in New Plymouth.

JAMIE HEASLIP yesterday hailed forwards coach Gert Smal for his ability to spot slight weaknesses in Ireland’s opponents, an ability that helped Paul O’Connell and Donncha O’Callaghan wreak first-half havoc on Wales’ lineout play at Croke Park on Saturday.

HE MAY be approaching his 30th birthday and struggling to get game time for his province, but Tony Buckley can be one of the world’s best prop forwards, according to Ireland forwards coach Gert Smal.

THE escalating Jonny Wilkinson debate spread across the Irish Sea yesterday and, like Martin Johnson, Ireland defence coach Les Kiss was effusive in his praise of the under-fire out-half.

AS Donncha O’Callaghan chatted with journalists this week, he realised that payback time had arrived for Paul O’Connell’s recent comments on The Late, Late Show.

BACK from injury and looking “big, strong and fit,” Stephen Ferris last night gave Ireland a massive Six Nations boost by presenting himself for duty ahead of tomorrow’s Stade de France rendezvous with France.