Kidney dismisses talk of pressure as focus remains on work

Ireland coach Declan Kidney insisted yesterday he doesn’t feel under increased pressure given the national side’s recent failures.

The former Munster boss, whose contract expires next summer, delivered Ireland’s first Grand Slam in 61 years at the first time of asking in 2009.

But the team has failed to display anything like the same measure of consistency and high achievement since.

Last season was a case in point of the national side’s mixed fortunes with the high of a Rugby World Cup defeat of Australia being counterbalanced by the low of a 60-0 loss to New Zealand 10 months later. The manner of that humbling at the Waikato Stadium has cast a shadow over the Irish team and it will only be lifted by wins against South Africa, Fiji and Argentina in the Guinness Series in Dublin and Limerick in November.

“My situation doesn’t matter,” said Kidney at Ireland’s two-day training camp in Carton House. “The only thing that matters is that we do well. That’s been the only pressure I’ve been under from day one. Coaches are the same as players, you’re here for a while so you make the most of everything. We’ve a fantastic occasion coming up so that’s the only thing I worry about. The only thing I’m concerned about is how Ireland do.”

Kidney was also quizzed on the make-up of his coaching ticket and, in particular, the decision last season to add the attacking brief on to defence coach Les Kiss’s desk rather than replace the departed Alan Gaffney.

Brian O’Driscoll admitted this week that there had been some confusion among players as to which coaches were to be approached over specific matters but it seems unlikely there will be any new appointments.

Kidney added: “Like players, we’ll be continually looking at things but it’s something that has worked very successfully for me in the past. I’ll take responsibility for everything that happened.

“I’m really fortunate to have the quality of men with me. Titles are titles. I’ve had this structure in Munster where we’ve won before. Guys doing defence also did the backs with me and then we had a collective wisdom along with that. I’ll run the shop and it will be the way I want it to run. We’re forever checking out areas we want to do but, no, I wouldn’t envisage any changes there.”

Meanwhile, Kidney did reveal the IRFU is finally closing in on a new high performance scrum coach, six months after the post was first advertised.

“Negotiations are ongoing and I’d imagine there’d be something sooner rather than later,” Kidney said.

“You can fill a slot easily but you have to make sure you feel it with the right person. Sometimes you’re better off not filling it than filling it with the wrong person.”