Kidney can relish World Cup headache

REGARDLESS of his Munster roots and satisfaction at the result, few had as much reason to be pleased at Thomond Park on Saturday as Ireland coach Declan Kidney.

A cracking Magners League Grand Final between the country’s top two sides showed most of his front line players to be in outstanding form and, more pertinently, there were no more injuries to concern him entering the summer months.

Kidney will shortly announce a World Cup squad of 50, which will be reduced in August to the 30 who travel to New Zealand for the Rugby World Cup the following month. Nominating the preliminary 50 will present few problems but that will not be the case when it comes to the final squad.