Kidney ignores contract talk to focus on French

Under-pressure Ireland head coach Declan Kidney ignored speculation about his future in the job but asked for his developing team to be given time to come good.

Insisting his players should stick to their guns and continue playing the attack-minded, expansive rugby that has seen Ireland cough up error after error in succumbing to two straight Six Nations defeats for the first time since he succeeded Eddie O’Sullivan as head coach in 2008, Kidney refused to discuss his chances of earning a new contract from the IRFU when the current deal expires this summer.

Calls for Kidney’s tenure to end after almost five years at the helm have been growing since his side lost 12-8 to Scotland at Murrayfield last Sunday in a game Ireland dominated in terms of possession and territory but failed to apply the killer blow after wasting numerous try-scoring opportunities.