More glad tidings for Ireland

The glow from Ireland’s defeat of Argentina at the Aviva Stadium swept across Dublin’s southside to UCD yesterday with the confirmation that Brian O’Driscoll and Rob Kearney should both be fit for the start of the Six Nations next February.

Joe Schmidt was the bearer of good news for club and country with his assertion that the Ireland captain is expected to return from his ankle injury a handful of weeks earlier than expected while Kearney remains on pace for a similar mid-January reintroduction.

That represents a more than favourable time frame for the pair if they are to be available for Ireland’s trip to the Millennium Stadium in early February and leaves them in good stead to make the fifth and sixth round Heineken Cup pool games against Scarlets and Exeter in the New Year.