Kidney: Buckley’s career could blossom at Sale

IRELAND coach Declan Kidney has said the onus is on Munster prop Tony Buckley to prove he’s worth a place in the Ireland squad following his signing for Sale Sharks, a transfer which has put the IRFU’s player management policy in the spotlight.

Buckley’s departure will deprive Munster of an experienced prop, but Fermoy native Mike Ross has overtaken him within the Ireland squad, and speculation on Ross transferring from Leinster to Munster is already at fever pitch.

However, Union sources insisted yesterday that decisions made on player deployment within the Irish provinces are jointly undertaken between the player, provinces, player advisory group and the IRFU itself, with no group having a veto over the other when it comes to the final decision.