Coach Kidney has reasons to be cheerful
With France, Scotland, Wales and England all succumbing to southern hemisphere opposition, the most content of all the Six Nations coaches has to be Ireland's Declan Kidney.
Not because he was presented, somewhat to the embarrassment of this essentially modest man, with the IRB Coach of the Year award, but because Ireland earned a draw with the Wallabies, disposed of Fiji and tiurned over World Champions South Africa in one of the most physical games ever played at Croke Park.
Despite the cold and the freezing fog, not a single spectator was going anywhere until the final whistle, as Ireland held off a late surge by an exhausted Springbok outfit who, thanks to the outstanding scrummaging of Ulster's BJ Botha, had been the better outfit in the first half.
But as Rob Kearney fielded kick after kick and Paul O'Connell, one of many Irishmen with a point to prove following last summer's Lions tour, galvanised the Irish forward effort, the game swung Ireland's way, and if Johnny Sexton (pictured above) missed with two penalty attempts, he was forgiven, as the youngster kicked the goals that mattered.
Hello, I'm Jim Neilly and I have been covering Ulster and Irish rugby for the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ for 30 years. I also cover boxing for Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Television.
