Italy clash provides opportunity for Kidney

If Declan Kidney genuinely believes having to play four games in 22 days will adversely affect Ireland’s chances of getting their RBS 6 Nations challenge back on track, he will rotate his squad for Saturday’s clash with Italy at the Aviva Stadium.

Kidney feels he has been dealt a more difficult hand by the postponement of the French game. But it shouldn’t prove a problem. Ireland’s head coach has spoken many times of the need to put together a large squad with each position covered by at least two players. And with the exception of tight head prop, he has succeeded.

So, with shrewd use of the resources, he should be able to put a fit, well-prepared side on the field for each game. These are finely tuned, professional athletes who have benefited from the IRFU policy of limiting their game appearances to be fresh for international matches.

Not alone that, but the management team shows how well the players are looked after. They have a team doctor (Eanna Falvey), a strength and conditioning coach (Jason Cowman), a nutritionist (Ruth Wood Martin), a physiotherapist (Cameron Steele), athletic trainer and physiotherapist (Brian Green) and two masseurs (Willie Bennett and David Revins).

It defies logic that the expertise of all these people, with wise rotation of the squad, won’t put a fit side on the field.

As for the limited amount of time between each game, the players will be motivated pulling on the green jersey regardless of any perceived difficulties. You know, it’s not all that long ago when guys who worked for a living during the week gave their all for Ireland on a Saturday and turned out for their clubs 24 hours later.

Kidney regularly preaches the mantra that injury to one player is another player’s opportunity and a very obvious example of this is how successfully Simon Zebo stepped up to the plate for Munster after Doug Howlett’s injury. He just can’t stop scoring tries, whether for Munster or the Irish Wolfhounds, with another couple in Italy at the weekend.

Furthermore, the postponement of the French game after defeat by Wales means Ireland have a much easier task to get back on the winning trail with a home game against an Italian side shorn of their outstanding prop forward Martin Castrogiovanni and without any serious options at number 10.

Will Kidney see this as the opportunity to rest a few key players with the French game looming? He should. He has two outstanding young forwards, Peter O’Mahony and Sean Cronin, who could come into the starting XV in place of Sean O’Brien and Rory Best without significantly weakening the side.

The 22-year-old O’Mahony is a highly-talented back-row forward and Cronin, 25, an explosive open field runner. They have been outstanding for their provinces throughout the season and could add much needed freshness to the Irish cause. Cronin already has 15 caps to his credit, but nine were off the bench and he has yet to start a Six Nations game. O’Mahony is still uncapped but that won’t remain the case for very long.

Several other options present themselves to Kidney. At half-back, there may be a temptation to go with Munster’s Ronan O’Gara and Conor Murray or the Leinster combination of Jonathan Sexton and Eoin Reddan. Donnacha Ryan is another for whom a starting place may well be found.

In none of these instances would Kidney be taking a risk of any kind.