Patience will prove key for Kidney

TO succeed in international competition requires a range of specific characteristics but for Declan Kidney’s men, deep in preparation for the greatest rugby show on earth — the World Cup — patience is probably the most important ingredient his players need to discover at this stage.

So much effort has gone into their pre-season that all the players are now desperate for game time. It is also inevitable, as we witnessed both in Murrayfield and Twickenham on Saturday, that a period of adjustment is required to transfer what has been achieved on the training paddock to the heart of international competition.

Sharpness and accuracy can only be achieved by repetition under pressure and unfortunately training is no substitute for the real thing. That can lead to frustrations and tensions as set piece routines and structured plays break down in the heat of battle.