Kidney's crew open up World Cup

The 2011 World Cup final looks set to be a battle of the hemispheres following Ireland’s 15-6 upset of Australia at Eden Park.

The result places South Africa and Australia on a quarter-final collision course before a likely meeting with New Zealand, if as expected they defeat France, in the last four.

Meanwhile the top half of the knockout draw could entirely consist of Six Nations teams – a prospect that appeals to Ireland coach Declan Kidney.

“It’s probably good for the World Cup. The Tri-Nations team play a lot against one another,” he said.

“Let the Tri-Nations sort out one half and the Six Nations sort out the other half. It’s only a World Cup if a northern hemisphere side plays a southern hemisphere team in the final.”

Beating Tri-Nations champions Australia, the tournament’s second favourites, has given Ireland a fantastic chance of reaching the semi-finals for the first time.

It was undoubtedly their greatest World Cup performance, though Kidney was reluctant to comment on whether it was their biggest win of all time.

“When you’re involved in the middle of something it’s probably best not to say. It’s for other people to answer that,” he said.

“We’ll enjoy the night tonight. It’s a good reason for a party. Yeah we’re fairly pleased with that. When you’ve played a team five times in a competition it’s nice to get one over them eventually.

“But it will be meaningless unless we win the other two matches because we’re a long way from qualifying from our group yet.”

Popular Munster hooker Jerry Flannery, who was ruled out of the World Cup with a career-threatening calf injury on Thursday, presented the team with their jerseys on Friday.

“Jerry was hugely disappointed to miss out,” said Kidney.

“Those of us who know Jerry know how hard he has worked to get fit for this World Cup. We’ve always talked about the importance of what the non-playing 15 bring and this was one of those occasions.”