It’s time to test the fringe players

IT’S on occasions such as these that people like Declan Kidney realise that their day’s work is never really done!

The deep satisfaction and sense of relief after the vastly improved performance against Australia has already given way to planning ahead to Sunday’s clash with Russia in Rotorua.

The Russians, of course, are one of the minnows and it is a near certainty that Ireland will beat them with plenty to spare and a bonus point to boot. The main task facing Kidney is piecing together the kind of side that will get the job done while bearing in mind that several of his squad have yet to even sit on the bench at this World Cup.

Fielding anything but the strongest side against Italy a week later and in the quarter-final to follow is out of the question. Even though Eddie O’Sullivan left himself open to strong criticism for the manner in which he handled his squad in France in 2007, only one player, Brian Carney, had to sit the whole tournament out without once togging out as a replacement.

The number could be a whole lot more this time around should Kidney opt for more or less his strongest side against Russia as he did against the United States, the other so-called “soft touch” in Pool C.

Isaac Boss, Fergus McFadden, Paddy Wallace and Leo Cullen along with Jerry Flannery’s replacement Damien Varley have yet to be asked to change into their playing gear on match day while Donnacha Ryan and Sean Cronin await their first opportunity to take the field in this World Cup.

However, all have put personal disappointment aside to give 100% support to the cause. Jerry Flannery’s selflessness and enthusiastic pre-match oration has been widely praised and his delight at the final whistle underlined what it meant to him even though he knew he’d be on a plane home 24 hours later.

His attitude struck a chord with everyone. Stephen Ferris was moved to comment that “it was quite emotional listening to him and I think the lads went out and did it for him.”

Skipper Brian O’Driscoll chipped in that “his words were inspirational and a lot of lads won’t forget that.”

So, who can expect to get the coveted call from the boss come next Friday morning?

First and foremost, Kidney should wrap anyone who may be carrying the slightest touch of injury in cotton wool. Paul O’Connell is absolutely precious, Gordon D’Arcy was one of those who improved appreciably against the Wallabies and both have trouble with their hamstrings. It’s easy to replace them with either Leo Cullen or Donnacha Ryan in the second-row and Fergus McFadden as Brian O’Driscoll’s centre partner.

A starting place should also be found for Andrew Trimble, probably instead of Keith Earls, another who might benefit from a break, and pairing Munster’s Ronan O’Gara and Conor Murray at half-back would also make sense given that both are sure to figure in the latter stages of the competition.

It might seem extreme to ask Brian O’Driscoll to put his body on the line once again but his leadership is a crucial factor for this side, especially if there is the slightest doubt concerning O’Connell.

The front-row is the one area where the Russians could pose a problem but Tom Court, Sean Cronin and Tony Buckley should still be capable of at least holding their own, thereby allowing Saturday’s heroic trio of Mike Ross, Rory Best and Cian Healy to reserve their energies for the mighty Italian engine room a week later.

Kidney is not one given to experimentation but he is also a very sensitive man who will want to give as many of his 30 strong squad as possible the opportunity to get on the pitch at some stage.

I don’t believe he would be taking too much of a risk in picking a side along these lines against the Russians:

Suggested Line-Up vs Russia: R Kearney; T Bowe, B O’Driscoll capt, F McFadden, A Trimble; R O’Gara, C Murray; T Court, S Cronin, T Buckley, D O’Callaghan, L Cullen, D Ryan, S O’Brien, D Leamy with Isaac Boss, Paddy Wallace and Damien Varley hopeful of bench recognition.