Kidney calls for public support

IT was an autumn series that raised more questions than it answered but Declan Kidney reflected on his first three games as coach by asking everyone — media and public alike — to buy into his Irish team as it turns its focus towards the Six Nations.

As was the case against the All Blacks, Kidney recognised that Saturday’s crucial win over Argentina wasn’t the spectacle to get the blood flowing, and few among the crowd of just under 70,000 would find fault with that summation.

Though hard-fought and tense, it was only when Ireland laid siege to the Argentina line for the first time after a full hour of play that the crowd let loose the sort of guttural roar one would normally associate with any red-blooded international.