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

This is a big four weeks for Irish rugby and it might be the biggest four weeks in Declan Kidney’s coaching career, writes Emmet Moloney.

Considering Declan Kidney has won two Heineken Cups and a Grand Slam, describing the next four weeks as the biggest in his career may seem strange, but this is the first real lead-in to next year’s World Cup in New Zealand and, from now until then, that is all Kidney is planning for.

Of course, publicly we’ll be told that it’s one game at a time and the Six Nations is all-important, the World Cup is a year away, etc. That’s rubbish. The World Cup is this season. Players might have a few weeks off next May or June, but all eyes are now on the William Webb Ellis trophy.

Declan Kidney is not alone in this semi-hidden agenda. All international coaches have their contracts secure until after the World Cup. They can get on with the real business of preparation safe in the knowledge that the results between now and next September will not result in any of them losing their job.

This is the security Eddie O’Sullivan craved and that ultimately got in the way of Ireland’s last World Cup. All our eggs went into the Six Nations tournament directly preceding it and we suffered as a result. Kidney is cuter than that and his Grand Slam ended all potential arguments about his suitability for the job.

So why are these four weeks so crucial for him? Well, this is a dry run. We play the Springboks, Samoans, All Blacks and our bitterest of friends, the Argies, on successive weekends. Kidney is a long-term thinker. He’ll watch his squad together over the next month and he’ll make decisions based on what he sees.

We’ll get clues. Look at his starting 15 for the match against South Africa on Saturday. That’s as close as he can get to his first-choice team. Some players will be rested against the hard-hitting Samoans before a full-strength side will be selected to face the All Blacks. Whoever is left standing after all that will duke it out against Argentina.

We have to win three of these games. We will be going all out to win four but that’s really a long shot. The Springboks come into the game, like us, without a warm-up match. They’re first up and beatable. If we’re on our game we can do them, like we did in Croke Park 12 months ago. The All Blacks are the rugby yardstick and, realistically, we have to live with them for most of the match. That will do for now.

If Ireland are serious about competing at the next World Cup, we simply have to beat Samoa and Argentina with something to spare on our own patch. And what a patch it is. The Aviva Stadium has apparently been open for a few months now but it doesn’t feel like it. The clichés about the new “fortress” and “home of Irish rugby” won’t roll from RTÉ mouths until we win a serious match in the ground. The place won’t shake until a team like the Springboks – world champion Springboks – are turned over.

Kidney is a man for reading situations like that. Anyone who thinks the bond between Munster supporters and the Munster squad just happened does not know their recent rugby history. Kidney was in the middle of that, nurtured that, encouraged and created that. This quiet, softly spoken and modest Deccy that the public sees is not the man that pulls the strings. You don’t thrive at the levels of management he has reached without a ruthless streak. Just because it isn’t seen doesn’t mean it isn’t there.

Take John Hayes – the heartbeat of the pack for so long, yet released to play against Ulster last weekend, along with the also dispensable Shane Horgan. Thanks for everything, John, but I’ve finally got my hands on younger (I will not say better) props. I’m going with them; you’re going to Ravenhill.

That’s what we’re going to see from Kidney this autumn. Hard decisions, finally made.
So where are the pressure points? At out-half it is now time that Sexton was the acknowledged number 10. That will light a fire under O’Gara and give Kidney some wriggle room at scrum-half. Despite Stringer’s release back to the provinces last weekend, his old mentor still has half an eye on him. The speed of his pass would give Sexton a real chance to show his wares. And with Sexton solid defensively, the need for a physically strong number nine is somewhat negated. Strings makes a nice substitute nine as he can change the way a team plays the game.

Good luck to anyone who can pick Declan’s brain before a team is named because he keeps his cards stuck to his chest. Having said that, two of the back row pick themselves these days: Heaslip and Ferris. He has gone for David Wallace for the South Africa encounter with Denis Leamy on the bench but they both have a fight on their hands with Sean O’Brien’s form. Wallace is the obvious safe call, while a fully fired-up Denis Leamy can’t be discounted. O’Brien is the risk so early in his international career but he’ll get his chance in the next couple of weeks.

Injuries mean that Paul O’Connell’s slot beside Donncha O’Callaghan is up for grabs. Again, Kidney has choices. Mick O’Driscoll’s form for Munster sees him get the nod ahead of the likes of Donnacha Ryan and Devon Toner, although the old stalwart Leo Cullen can’t be too far from his mind.

Either side of the experienced Rory Best, our front row has rookie written all over it, but Cian Healy and Tony Buckley are the men we will be looking to next year, while Sean Cronin will keep Best honest at least until the return to fitness of Jerry Flannery.
Our backs need Luke Fitzgerald, Rob Kearney and Keith Earls to step up. All are potentially world-class but have question marks over them. Young Luke and Keith are coming back from injuries while Kearney’s form is frustratingly inconsistent since a memorable Lions tour.

Brian O’Driscoll and Tommy Bowe are certainties for this Irish side but after that we have a chance to do something different. D’Arcy beside the captain means that three into two won’t go and it’s Earls who misses out this time, although how much of that is due to injury is a matter for the manager.

Declan Kidney wants Ireland to reach a World Cup semi-final at least this time next year. That’s his goal. He has won a Grand Slam, now he wants to be the first Irish coach to deliver real progress in a World Cup. The Lions head coach position is not beyond him either.

There will be a surprise or two in the coming weeks. I have a sneaking suspicion that we are going to have a right rattle at the All Blacks. Beating the world champions would set that up nicely.

In two previous autumn series under Declan Kidney, Ireland were flat and uninspiring. Not this time.

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