Trimble could be big loser on Irish team that picks itself

DECLAN KIDNEY took positives from the Irish Wolfhounds’ loss to the English Saxons in Exeter at the weekend but saw little reason to change his belief he already has a side best equipped to beat Wales in the Six Nations opener.

Replacement scrum-half Tomás O’Leary should have kept his name in the mix with a try but he remains, at best, third behind Conor Murray and Eoin Reddan. Simon Zebo underlined his potential with a late try which will stand to him in good stead and he is now a safe bet for a place in the squad to tour New Zealand next summer, a point emphasised by his inclusion in the squad for Sunday.

The three-quarter line is the one area where Kidney faces a selection dilemma but he certainly isn’t short of options. David Kearney ran a superb line for his try and capped an excellent defensive display with a superb sliding intervention that prevented England winger Ugo Monye going over.