Kidney backs new men to deliver

Ireland stars Jonathan Sexton and Stephen Ferris could return to training soon but Declan Kidney has backed the men who will replace them in the Ireland starting XV to perform.

Kidney's team selection, which included Ronan O'Gara at out-half and Kevin McLaughlin at blindside wing-forward, caused something of a stir yesterday.

Commenting on Sexton's injury, Kidney said: 'It will be Friday before we have a more accurate gauge. He might be able to train with us. He may not. The first signs are that he could be out training with us next week.'

Sexton was the last man to wear the Ireland 10 jersey but Kidney, kicking all of Ireland's points in the 15-10 victory over South Africa in November. But Kidney was keen to point out that it was O'Gara who steered Ireland to RBS 6 Nations glory last year.

He added: 'It (injury) is one of the things that goes with rugby. We have Ronan (O'Gara) and Paddy (Wallace). That's one of the things we learned last year. Ronan is the guy who kicked us the drop goal to win us the Triple Crown in our last Championship match. Isn't it brilliant that we have him?'

McLaughlin will win his first cap against Italy but Kidney expects him to do nothing more than deliver his Leinster form for Ireland: 'Hopefully what he will bring is Kevin McLaughlin and the consistency that he has shown for Leinster this season.'

Commenting on Stephen Ferris, also ruled out with injury, Kidney added that the Ulster flanker had been 'non-weight bearing' last week but that his situation had improved.

He said: 'These guys prepare in an extraordinary way and I would be hopeful that he could do something next Monday. But in this job, there's a lot of time between now and Monday.

'Kevin (McLaughlin) is going to have a go at it and we wish him well but we want Stephen back as soon as we can as well because you want guys training against eachother because they bring eachother on better than any coaching can do.'