Kiss on high as pieces fall into place

Although Ireland’s rugby management team dare not look too far ahead, things appear to be settling nicely into place in advance of the 2015 World Cup in England.

Joe Schmidt’s team are Six Nations champions, the second string are poised to win the IRB Nations Cup and Mike Ruddock’s youngsters have broken the mould by reaching the Junior World Cup last four for the first time.

There is an air of great enthusiasm in the Irish camps right now and Schmidt’s right-hand man Les Kiss endorsed that view in Romania this week as he watched Emerging Ireland impressively dispatch Uruguay 51-3.