Kidney without some big guns for opening salvo

IRELAND’S team for their opening Rugby World Cup Pool C encounter against the United States on Sunday appears to be taking shape with fitness concerns determining selections in a number of key positions.

As expected, loosehead prop Cian Healy has been deemed “unlikely to play” in New Plymouth and though Declan Kidney should otherwise have a full complement to choose from there could well be other players wrapped in cotton wool ahead of the second game on September 17 against Tri Nations champions Australia.

Kidney announces his side to face the Eagles in the early hours of tomorrow morning (Irish time), and after a disappointing series of warm-ups in August needs his team to deliver a statement of intent against the Americans.