Kidney wants more quality time with players

HOWEVER deserved the rest Declan Kidney is getting this week after a gruelling month steering Ireland through a four-match autumn series, the national team head coach would much rather be out on the training ground preparing for a fifth.

As Kidney sees it, his players are just getting started after four outings over consecutive weekends. Inexperienced players have been given valuable game time, teething problems have been exposed and areas for improvement, several of them, identified.

Defeats to South Africa and New Zealand, but particularly to the Springboks, stick in his craw but the win over Samoa snapped a seven-game losing streak and the defeat of old foes Argentina sent the Ireland squad and fans alike into the winter snow with optimism.