Selection - Huge Calls For Kidney

by Brendan Cole

After Scotland v Ireland, I think Ireland fans (me included) are learning quite a bit about just how difficult winning is......

More on that later in the week I'm sure - for now, a quick look ahead to tomorrow afternoon's team selection.

The biggest call before kick-off is Declan Kidney’s team selection (the Welsh team selection will obviously also be of huge interest with Warren Gatland having key decisions to make in the back-row, at out-half and in the centre).  

Kidney has at least four big calls to make – three in the first XV and one on the bench.

For Ireland, the first key debate is whether to go for Rory Best of Jerry Flannery at hooker. Best defied the doubters by running a very good lineout against Scotland and also made a very smart contribution to Ireland’s play in the tight. Jerry Flannery has played well in the other three games, however, and is effectively still the man in possession.

This one may boil down to whether the coaches weight Flannery’s throwing in ahead of Best’s more secure carrying and smarter tight work.

In the backs, the decisions are arguably more to do with gameplan and fit than straight form.

At inside centre, Paddy Wallace played well in the first three games without making big attacking plays. There was at least one minor slips in defence - for the linebreak that led to Delon Armitage’s try against England. Against Scotland, Gordon D’Arcy threatened slightly more and carried well and often against Scotland. The other factor is the form of Brian O’Driscoll, who appeared to play better alongside Wallace than the more similar D’Arcy. D'Arcy's ability to come in and do well against a tiring defence would also be in favour of him starting from the bench.

Again, it's a desperately tight call.

At scrum-half, leaving aside the try he created, Peter Stringer’s passing had an obvious impact on Ireland’s ability to create go forward ball in midfield. Tomás O’Leary is still effectivelyt he incumbent but may be under pressure to retain the jersey heading into a match which Ireland must approach as positively as possible to win.

The final decision is on the bench – where in the likely absence of the massively unlucky Denis Leamy Ireland need to bring in a player capable of coming in and carrying ball to the high standards set by Stephen Ferris, Jamie Heaslip and David Wallace to date.

Going on previous squads, Shane Jennings and Alan Quinlan are the two main contenders with Quinlan possibly ahead on the basis of his superior ball carrying, big match temperament and Heineken Cup winning experience.

An outside bet would be Sean O’Brien, who carries the ball at least as well as anyone not currently in the Ireland squad and has that priceless knack of always ensuring the ball is recycled when he does take it into contact. Obviously, this fixture may have come just slightly too soon for him, but the Leinster flanker definitely deserves a mention based on his achievements this season.

My calls?

Best, Stringer, Wallace (just - and based mainly on the theory that saving D'Arcy will give us a vital extra gear if we need it in the second half) and Quinlan - though we would lose nothing by having O'Brien in there either.