Ireland must flex muscles in USA clash

NEXT Friday Declan Kidney will name the 22-man squad to face USA in the World Cup opener in New Plymouth and will seek a massive improvement from the demoralising warm-up games.

The Americans are, at best, a third world rugby country although rest assured Eddie O’Sullivan will have them primed for this game more than any other, a game being played on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 atrocities.

But the reality is that if Ireland fail to win by less than 20 points, they have no business going on the same pitch as the Australians six days later.

We probably spent as much money in a day during the Carton House camp as the Eagles did in their entire preparation. Whereas Ireland boast several household rugby names, including two Lions captains, even the most ardent rugby fans will struggle to recognise more than three or four of the US side.

They barely got to the World Cup and about the only thing they seem to have going for them is Eddie O’Sullivan, a coach all out to make a point to the Union that more or less fired him in the aftermath of the World Cup flop in France four years ago.

However, if Ireland fail to up their game against the US, the alarm bells will be ringing again just as they were after the games against Namibia and Georgia in Bordeaux four years ago.

It was an unhappy time for the vast majority and an experience that those who survived into this World Cup campaign won’t want repeated.

The injury that has ruled out key man David Wallace and the doubts concerning the wellbeing and form of several others make Declan Kidney’s task all the more difficult. Nevertheless, we expect him to be bold in picking his 22 for Sunday.

With Rob Kearney’s groin injury still a source of worry, it could be that he will start on the bench with Geordan Murphy in the number 15 jersey. My preferred three-quarter line would be Andrew Trimble, Tommy Bowe, Fergus McFadden and Keith Earls.

Trimble is one of the few to have earned his place through the warm-up games. Bowe’s switch to the centre where he operates regularly for the Ospreys might lend the desperately needed cutting edge in midfield, McFadden has the power and direct line of running while Earls deserves the chance to show that he is a left wing and nothing else.

At half-back, I would play the Munster pair Ronan O’Gara and Conor Murray, at least for the first hour. O’Gara is probably marginally behind Jonny Sexton in the number 10 pecking order but has much to offer while carrying Murray all the way to New Zealand and not to afford him a fair chance hardly sounds logical. The youngster hasn’t looked at all fazed by his rise to such an exalted level.

All four props should figure against the US, Tom Court and Tony Buckley from the start, Cian Healy (if fit) and Mike Ross for the closing 20.

Jerry Flannery is in need of game time so he should be there from the start. If O’Driscoll is given another few days to get fully fit, then the captaincy would fall to Paul O’Connell in a back five that might also contain Donnacha Ryan either in the second row or at number six. The latter jersey, though, will probably go to Stephen Ferris, another short of match practice, and with Jamie Heaslip and Sean O’Brien (both with niggling injuries) likely to be held back for the Wallabies, places may go to Denis Leamy and Shane Jennings.

No matter which 22 Kidney opts for, eight players will still be left to kick their heels. Keeping them all happy over the next four weeks — at least — will be just one of the many tasks facing the coach. However, favourable results and good performances will help enormously in that regard — beginning in New Plymouth on Sunday.