Kidney gets it right with Sexton call

HARD man to second guess, is Declan Kidney.

Despite Jonny Sexton’s virtuoso performance against Fiji, I was sure the Irish coach would hand the No.10 jersey back to the man who has enjoyed sole occupancy for the past six years, Ronan O’Gara. After all, it is the Springboks coming to town.

In making this change now, Kidney has again backed his own judgment that, in assessing exactly where Sexton is in terms of his ability to perform at the very highest level, this game presents the opportunity to find out.

Without taking anything from the Leinster man’s performance last Saturday, the challenge he faces is of entirely different proportions. Yet it is a game where the result, even in the short term, has very little consequence. In those circumstances Kidney is right to make this call.

The one thing Sexton proved against Fiji is he has the temperament, composure and decision-making ability to compete at the next level. If Kidney failed to make this call now, he would start the Six Nations still wondering. He will know a hell of a lot more about his strength in depth in the vital out-half position come 5pm Saturday.

That is what the November series is about — with less than two years to go to the next RWC, it is incumbent on the coach to broaden the base.

No doubt O’Gara will be extremely disappointed, but he will respect it for what it is and seek to influence the game if and when he is summoned from the bench. After his travails over the summer, this is a game he would dearly have loved to start. The important thing now for him is to get his head in the right place and support his young colleague. By making this alteration now, Kidney is also delivering a clear message to the rest of his squad — play well and you will be rewarded, no matter who’s got the jersey.

It will also add additional spice to a game I have been looking forward to ever since the final whistle blew in Pretoria last June and the Springboks had somehow scraped over the line to win the test series against the Lions.

Perhaps it was the pain etched on the blooded face of O’Gara or the bewildered look on Paul O’Connell as they left the field. Or maybe the sight of Brian O’Driscoll being helped off the pitch, or the utter disgust at Schalk Burger’s unprovoked attack on Luke Fitzgerald’s eyes in the opening minute that stuck in my mind.

Either way, even in defeat, I harboured a feeling that with so many of the current Irish side involved in that test series they would retain sufficient desire, inside knowledge and belief to gain revenge against the world champions when they came to Croke Park. Despite going on to capture the Tri-Nations series almost unopposed, more that ever I feel South Africa are there for the taking. To be fair, that view is now in the context of an ever increasing injury and unavailability list that deprives them of Pierre Spies, Juan Smith, Jean de Villiers and Francois Steyn.

The biggest problem on the current tour, losing three of their four games to date, is that the Boks are clearly running on empty. That’s no surprise. Just look at their schedule over the last six months. Since the opening test against the Lions in June they have played 11 internationals — the Lions, New Zealand and Australia on three separate occasions, along with France in Toulouse and Italy in Udine. Also factor in that the Blue Bulls, which provides the majority of the test side, won the Super 14, destroying the Waikato Chiefs 61-17, before then going on to win the Currie Cup.

Contrast that with Ireland who have played two tests less over a longer period of 10 months. In addition to the five ‘home’ nations, Ireland have faced Canada, USA, Australia and Fiji.

That said, I am certain South Africa’s talismanic captain John Smit will have no difficulty in getting his side up for one last mammoth effort this weekend. The prize for them of downing the Six Nations champions is too appealing a carrot.

With Pieter de Villiers delaying the announcement of his team by 48 hours because of a number of injury concerns, he is attempting to convey an image of crisis within the squad. However, they will name a very strong side tomorrow with all the key performers on board. Any team with Victor Matfield, Fourie du Preez, Bakkies Botha, Bryan Habana, Bismarck du Plessis and Smit himself included will be formidable.

Remember the Lions made eight changes for the third test and also gave the impression that they were knackered, yet produced one of their best performances on tour.

Springbok pride has been stung on this tour and a win on Saturday will have a very satisfying feel about it as they board a plane on Sunday morning for a well-earned close-season break. For Ireland to win they cannot ignore that South Africa are the most physical side playing international rugby. To win, Paul O’Connell and his fellow forwards must take the fight to the Springbok pack, line up their enforcers and chief ball carriers in Botha, du Plessis and Burger and knock them backwards in the tackle.

If the rest of the Springbok side see their totemic figures on the retreat, they will not have the same stomach for the fight. If the visitors gain early momentum and a period to settle into the game, then Ireland will be in trouble as the outstanding du Preez at scrum-half and out-half Morne Steyn will launch their kicking game.

It won’t be lost on South Africa that Ireland suffered badly in two key areas against Australia, the breakdown and the scrum. They are the two sectors the Springbok pack will now seek to dominate. Their scrum has struggled badly on this tour — how ironic that it provided the platform for the vital first test win against the Lions — with Smit’s limitations as a converted hooker playing tight head prop being exposed by France and Italy respectively.

There is even the prospect that he will revert to his more familiar role in the middle of the front row, with Irish-based BJ Botha or CJ Van Der Linde selected at tight head. That would not be good news for Ireland.

David Pocock created havoc on the deck for the Wallabies, a feat the Springboks will hope Heinrich Brussow can replicate for them.

Ireland will simply have to commit more numbers to the breakdown and drive beyond the ball.

This has all the ingredients for a classic contest with the Irish back-line finally utilising all their undoubted running skills to terrorise opposition defences with ball in hand.

To finish the calendar year unbeaten would be a remarkable achievement.