Kidney to mix it up for Reds’ Connacht Christmas cracker
In spite of their hammering at the hands of Newcastle Falcons in the European Challenge Cup on Sunday, Michael Bradley’s team are nicely poised to claim a place in the Heineken Cup ahead of Ulster based on their respective finishes in the League.
Munster need to win that game to remain in contention for the title so the game should serve as a welcome treat after the Christmas excesses.
Kidney acknowledged after Sunday’s game that a number of players are in need of game time. Quite a few, including Tony Buckley, Donncha Ryan and Niall Ronan (Shannon), Barry Murphy and Paul Warwick (UL/Bohemian), Jeremy Manning, Denis and Darragh Hurley and Tom Gleeson (Cork Constitution), James Coughlan (Dolphin), Federico
Pucciariello (Old Crescent), Keith Earls and Gerry Hurley (Garryowen), have been playing regularly or intermittently for their clubs in the All-Ireland League but Kidney would like to see them in action at a higher level.
On the other side of the coin, he also realises that a number of regulars need a break after an intensive campaign. That was one of the reasons why Mick O’Driscoll was rested after an hour on.
“There’s an awful lot of credit that needs to go to our conditioning and medical team,” said Kidney. “I have them in my ear all the time about how much rest we should give these guys. Well, we’re doing that and trusting the players and they are respecting the rest they are getting. We’re not training a whole lot and they’re fresh out there.
“If you look at what Mick O’Driscoll has given us over the last three months. He was hurting coming off against the Scarlets and he had given everything. Micko has been absolutely outstanding for us and we just thought that he has been tiring. There was a gamble in taking off such an influential player but there’s a gamble every time because of the quality of player you’re leaving off. We’ve never tried to wrap anyone up in cotton wool and we have another huge game in 11 days against a side with the carrot of qualifying for Europe dangling in front of them.”
Kidney has also turned his eye to the next Heineken Cup game against Clermont Ferrand in France on the second weekend in January and warned:
“If we give Clermont the amount of ball that Llanelli had in the first half, they’ll hurt us because they have scoring ability all over. The possession stakes will have to improve.”
In the meantime, Kidney will look at Denis Hurley for the full-back position, Barry Murphy and Kieran Lewis in the centre, Paul Warwick at out-half, Tony Buckley, Frankie Sheahan and Darragh Buckley in the front-row, Donncha Ryan in the second-row and James Coughlan and Niall Ronan in the back-row and perhaps others for the Connacht game. He can hardly play them all — but it’s a sure indication that he has plenty of depth in most positions. And there’s more festive cheer for Kidney with news that Doug Howlett, Alan Quinlan and hopefully Paul O’Connell will also be available within the next few weeks.
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