Kidney turns to men in form for Ireland calls

DECLAN KIDNEY feels he has earned his keep in picking the Ireland side to face South Africa in Dublin on Saturday evening.

A week on from bemoaning the stretched player resources at his disposal for his Limerick training camp ahead of this month’s Guinness Series of four autumn internationals, the national team coach was playing a different numbers game as he turned to his men in form to make Ireland’s opening bow at the new Aviva Stadium a winning one against the reigning world champions.

The theme last week was scarcity when, aside from the already injured absentees such as Paul O’Connell, Kevin McLaughlin and John Muldoon, Kidney had to also do without captain Brian O’Driscoll and fellow centre Keith Earls, who were unable to train, and he then had to send a string of players back to their provinces for last weekend’s Magners League programme.