Big relief for Kidney as Ireland pummel the Pumas

Date Published: 28-Nov-2012

THE stakes were high at the Aviva Stadium last Saturday. Not alone was Ireland trying to end a five match international test losing run, they were also desperately striving to hold onto their second tier seeding in the world rankings, while under-pressure coach Declan Kidney’s job was probably on the line after a forgettable 2012.

The low point was reached when Ireland were embarrassingly taken apart by New Zealand (60-nil) in Hamilton during the summer and with Kidney’s conservation in team selection and tactical approach coming under scrutiny, the pressure was mounting on the Cork man.

A narrow defeat to South Africa earlier in the month when they failed to score in the second-half only provided more ammunition for the critics.

Though Kidney may come across as an uninspiring individual in his dealings with the media, his coaching record at provincial and international level (until recently) suggests there is much more to him than meets the eye. Leading Munster to the Heineken Cup and Ireland to only the country’s second ever Grand Slam are impressive achievements and can never be taken away from him.

But with the national team enduring its worst run for several seasons, it would only be so long that those feats were going to insulate Kidney from getting the bullet. Granted the absence of a number of injured front-liners like Sean O’Brien, Stephen Ferris, Rob Kearney, Paul O’Connell (we are starting to wonder if his playing days are numbered) and Brian O’Driscoll left considerable scope for the changing of the guard, the Irish coach wasn’t slow to embrace change.

Ahead of the critical test against Argentina, the Irish camp had been given a lift when a largely youthful side admittedly put a disinterested Fiji to the sword at Thomond Park the previous weekend. Craig Gilroy had scored a hat-trick of tries in that match and it was no surprise when the Ulster flyer was retained in the centre for the meeting with the Pumas, who were facing into their 12th test in six months.

Connacht’s Mike McCarthy was retained in the second row after a Trojan effort against South Africa, but there were still a lot of questions hanging over Ireland before the in-form Jonathan Sexton kicked off last Saturday. Previous matches against Argentina have tended to be close, uncompromising battles and the expectation was that we would see another attritional and ugly affair in the Aviva Stadium. It turned out to be anything but.

It was as if the Irish were let off the lease and given a licence to thrill. With Sexton master-minding their attacking and enterprising back play, Argentina simply couldn’t cope with the home team’s superb angles of running, pace and enterprise. The transformation was stunning as Ireland crossed for a seven-try haul having only managed a measly two in their five previous internationals. The impressive Gilroy danced over for the first, while Tommy Bowe and Sexton grabbed two each. Another of the young tyros, Simon Zebo, and hooker Richardt Strauss completed the rout.

Even allowing for Argentina looking battle weary and being guilty of some flimsy tackling, this was a sparkling effort by the reinvigorated Irish ahead of the upcoming Six Nations campaign. Some of the attacking play was sensational and, suddenly, the men in green look to be back in business and enjoying what they are doing. Sexton continues to grow in authority and confidence at number 10, while Donnacha Ryan is making up for a belated start to his international career with another mighty effort in the pack.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.