DUE to injuries, Declan Kidney’s hand may have been forced this week in terms of selection, but it was in positions where cover was available that the most surprising choices were made.
After having being exiled to the Irish Wolfhounds squad last week, (a side which lost heavily to Scotland ‘A’) Tomas O’Leary leapfrogs Eoin Reddan and Peter Stringer to start at nine for Ireland this weekend against Italy.
The move surprised many as O’Leary has struggled for form this season with both Munster and Ireland. The Cork native has always been a favourite option of Kidney’s, but the over looking of in form Peter Stringer and Leinster’s main number nine, Reddan, is truly baffling.
The case will be made for O’Leary’s physicality, which may be ideal for the Italian game, but when a coach starts to pick scrum halves for their physicality, an alarm bell does go off.
The other surprise choice in the starting fifteen is that of Donncha O’Callaghan. The Munster lock has been out shone this season by Mick O’Driscoll, Ian Nagle, Devin Toner, Leo Cullen and Ed O Donoghue to name a few. However the Corkman retains the number four shirt, where he will partner Paul O’Connell in the second row. It appears that O’Callaghan has been picked on the old ‘Simon Easterby’ policy of selection. More for the ‘unseen’ work than the actual tangible performance.
The injuries in the squad made Kidney’s calls in other areas a little easier to make. Heaslip, Flannery, Hayes, Kearney, Ferris and Bowe might all have started were it not for their time spent on the physio table.
The side itself, which includes uncapped Leinster star Fergus Mc Fadden on the wing will be truly tested by the Italians. The back three of Fitzgerald, Earls and Mc Fadden could be in for a long day. With Rory Best’s erratic throws at the lineout, the breakdown and scrums will be most used to set attacking platforms. Will Kidney’s selection gamble pay off?
Only time will tell. Kick off is 14.30 on Saturday.
