Emmet Moloney writes for the 'Farmers Journal' and is a former sports columnist with 'The Kerryman'.

The Declan Kidney era begins in earnest this weekend. Canada provide a taster before the All Blacks come to Croker. Emmet Moloney predicts great things for the new Irish coach...

Before we look ahead to Ireland’s upcoming series against Canada, New Zealand and Argentina, a word about Munster versus the All Blacks on Tuesday, 18 November. On that night, the home of Munster rugby and what is probably the spiritual home of Irish rugby will play host to a unique game. It is almost 30 years to the day that Munster did the impossible. Forget the recent miracle matches, on that October day in 1978, not only did Munster beat the Kiwis, they held them scoreless. That’s two pieces of history, neither to be repeated.

I wasn’t there, making me possibly the only Munster person alive at the time not to have been at the match. My father did attend but elected not to take me out of school. By then, Clare had lost two successive Munster hurling finals and there was talk of me being a jinx. (Clare lost to Limerick in the Munster semi-final the following summer while I was in the Gaeltacht. From then on, my father was considered the jinx!)

That win over the All Blacks has taken on a life of its own. But, alas, we will never get to relive the possibility of Munster overturning them on Tuesday week. The professional era has seen to that. None of the Irish squad members will be permitted to play against the All Blacks in Thomond Park, but all will be available for selection the previous Saturday in Croker. They are being saved for the revenge outing against Argentina. The reasons for this are sound when based in rugby logic. But forget real politik for a second. Munster are European Champions and Thomond is a fortress. The occasion demanded the likes of O’Gara, O’Connell and the rest of the stars. We’re opening a new stadium that night. This had “special” written all over it. Instead we will get mediocre. A second string side will put it up to the All Blacks and they will lose and lose well. We won’t knock their efforts and they must be savouring the opportunity, but this is Pope without Hook.

Declan Kidney is blameless. But not the money men who should have found a way a long time back to schedule Canada last or Munster last. Provincial rugby is more popular than the international format right now and Munster embody this. Their wonderful supporters and marvellous achievements of recent years deserved more.

That’s off the chest. Back to Deccy. He needs the best Irish team for three crucial games in terms of our rugby ranking for the upcoming World Cup draw. And he is Irish coach now. That’s his focus and thank God for his appointment. We need a little bit of the Munster spirit back in the green jersey and, most importantly, back in the green game plan.

Munster under Kidney played with smart heart. This is rugby played to your strengths and emotions. When the Men in Red needed the big hit, the big turnover, the big steal, the big ball carry, the big score, it came. Almost inevitably, they managed to turn the tide. And this in venues far from the solace of Thomond Park. In France and the hotbeds of English club rugby, Munster have always managed to find a performance. Adversity has been their friend.

The last year under Eddie O’Sullivan is long gone now and it doesn’t do Fast Eddie any justice. History will be kind to him but not yet. What we lacked in his last year is exactly what Kidney brings to the table. His teams deliver when the chips are down.

Because of this, Ireland will beat the All Blacks. There, I said it. It’s out there now. No taking it back. Ireland will beat the All Blacks in Croke Park on Saturday week.

We’ve never done it before (our best was a 10-10 draw in 1973), but we have threatened them so many times over the past seven or eight years. And always in New Zealand. Never at home.

But this time we have Kidney and a seriously on-form squad. We have Rob Kearney, Keith Earls and Luke Fitzgerald, all potential back greats in the years to come. And this is the type of game that makes these young fellas. It has already made Kearney Down Under and while it might be too soon for Earls, Fitzgerald is ready.

We have a pack that stands with anyone. It is, after all, the Munster pack. We have a seething Croke Park, on a par with the night England were dispatched with such aplomb. Watch the anthem take on the haka. There will be electricity in the air. It is set up for Kidney. This is what he does. He brings everyone together on the same page. They take on the giants and they beat them. They do it with brains and they do it heart.

Can he transfer this winning mentality to a team that is not exclusively from Munster? That’s the only question that remains. But let’s face it, the non-Munster men are born winners. And performers. We’re in seriously good shape here and I’ll be putting my money where my pen is. We’re going to beat them.

But don’t put the money on just yet. This Saturday we are probably going to fall over the line against Canada. We will look a bit rusty. There will be dropped passes, knock-ons, misplaced moves and a shaky line-out and scrum. We might only beat Canada by 15 or 20 points. And we might have to kick a lot to do it.

Expectations will be suitably lowered going into Croke Park. Kidney will smile and say very little. The papers will wonder what is going wrong. The clichés will be out in force. And then Ireland will pull a Munster on it.

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