Kidney given plenty to ponder

IF IT’S Declan Kidney’s stated intention to build a panel during his tenure, then the Ireland head coach will be satisfied with the tier of talent below his senior selection after Ireland A produced a solid performance to overwhelm Scotland at the RDS last night.

A powerful performance from the Ireland scrum laid the foundations for this victory with three of Ireland’s second-half tries a result of the work of the pack that destroyed its Scottish counterparts.

Shane Jennings’ withdrawal before kick-off allowed Sean O’Brien to make the most of his opportunity, the Carlow man picking up the man-of-the-match award after an eye-catching performance that included powerful surges in open play, while his provincial colleague Cian Healy showed why he soon will be deputising for Marcus Horan.