Kidney backs young guns to fire

It wasn’t quite a resumption of normal service yesterday as Declan Kidney restored his old guard to the Ireland line-up for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations opener against Wales in Cardiff — but countered that with the selection of the electric Simon Zebo and Craig Gilroy on the wings.

The return of former captain Brian O’Driscoll, Rob Kearney, Sean O’Brien and Rory Best, all of whom missed the November Tests due to injury, came as no surprise when Kidney revealed his hand to avenge three defeats in a row to last year’s Grand Slam winners.

Yet in selecting such an exciting wing duo, the national head coach has issued a statement of intent that Ireland will go to the Millennium Stadium on Saturday lunchtime fully prepared to match fire with fire against Lions favourites for the wide berths George North and Alex Cuthbert.