Kidney short on front-row options

NO area of recent Irish teams has provided more problems than the front-row of the scrum.

Even though John Hayes has accumulated more than 100 caps, Marcus Horan has pulled on the green jersey 66 times and Cian Healy has shown potential over the past year or two, the Irish scrum is not up to true international standard.

Since the season began, we have seen encouraging developments as far as the prop forward positions are concerned. Munster have chosen Tony Buckley ahead of Hayes at tight head in both their Heineken Cup matches while Mike Ross turned in an outstanding performance for Leinster in the number 3 jersey against Racing Metro and again stood up well when sticking it out for 77 minutes against Saracens at the weekend.

That indicates Buckley, Hayes and Ross provide coach Declan Kidney with several options in this key position when he names a squad of around 34 players at lunchtime today in preparation for the toughest ever schedule of autumn Tests – against South Africa on November 6; Samoa on November 13, New Zealand, November 20 and Argentina, November 28.

However, the loose head side of the scrummaging unit may well be an entirely different story. Leinster and Munster chose South Africans Heinke Van Der Merwe and Wian du Preez for their opening Heineken Cup games and although Cian Healy did start for Leinster on Saturday, he was called ashore on the hour and replaced by Van Der Merwe.

Healy will definitely get the call today while Marcus Horan at Munster and Ulster’s Tom Court will await the announcement with more than customary interest.

Kidney faces another predicament at hooker with Jerry Flannery’s troublesome calf likely to rule him out for at least the first two games. The coach, however, is fortunate here considering how impressively Sean Cronin has been performing for Connacht and how well Damien Varley – a virtual unknown this time last year – has stepped up to the plate as Munster’s replacement for Flannery and Denis Fogarty.

KIDNEY would also have been concerned about the second-row with Paul O’Connell ruled out of contention until December at the earliest and Leo Cullen only returning for a ten minute cameo over the weekend after a long lay-off with a shoulder injury.

However, Cullen is now back and with two Magners League games to get him match fit, he will assuredly be included today along with Mick O’Driscoll, who turned in such an inspirational performance for Munster against Toulon, Donncha O’Callaghan, Donnacha Ryan and Devin Toner.

With Munster’s David Wallace and Denis Leamy back to full fitness and in great form, Kidney will probably be forced to omit one or two high profile players in the back-row. Ulster’s Stephen Ferris will certainly be there along with the ever improving Sean O’Brien of Leinster and the irrepressible Jamie Heaslip while a spot must surely be found for Connacht’s John Muldoon.

Now that Tomás O’Leary is ruled out of the first two Tests, the contest for the starting place at scrum-half will be fascinating. To see Peter Stringer back regularly in a Munster shirt and performing so well is a heart warming sight and he will put it up to Eoin Reddan in the weeks ahead. Both will be in today’s squad along with Isaac Boss and very possibly Duncan Williams.

Kidney will quickly pencil in the in-form Jonathan Sexton and Ronan O’Gara as his out-half options with Paddy Wallace likely to figure alongside a whole host of richly talented three quarters in Brian O’Driscoll, Gordon D’Arcy, Luke Fitzgerald, Keith Earls, Andrew Trimble and Fergus McFadden. They are likely to be joined by Connacht flyer Fionn Carr.

Fitzgerald’s versatility would make him a ready made replacement for Rob Kearney at full-back but for now there is no concern in that direction. Kearney has been back to something like his best for Leinster and will be joined in the squad by Connacht’s Gavin Duffy.

With as many as 34 players likely to be named today, the prospect of a few notable omissions is unlikely but the clock is spinning round ever quicker for some older players and Kidney may well look at that situation with the 2011 World Cup now less than twelve months away.