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

The hurling season’s over and the right side won when it counted. Hopefully Declan’s Kidney Ireland can follow suit, writes Emmet Moloney...

We’ll shortly be getting up early in the morning to watch our rugby team down under at the World Cup in New Zealand. Ireland kick off this weekend against the USA – a nice pipe opener before the real tests against the Aussies and Italy. With the GAA season not yet over, this event has almost crept up on us, but all it will take is one inspirational performance from our lads for us all to get excited. I think we’ll see it too.

I’m sure some of the Irish squad stayed up till the early hours (for them) on Sunday to watch the All-Ireland hurling final at the weekend. Once upon a time the two codes would be worlds apart but not anymore. Many of the rugby players would know their hurling counterparts well as this is a small country and plenty, including captain Brian O’Driscoll, follow the game avidly.

They’ll have noticed Kilkenny’s demeanour last Sunday in Croke Park. Don’t be surprised if O’Driscoll or Kidney name-check Kilkenny in the build-up to the games. Sport is a hugely psychological contest as well as a physical one and Kidney has Cody-like form on the mental side of things. Kidney gets it, much in the same way that Brian Cody always got it. Kilkenny were not going to be beaten last Sunday, no matter what Tipperary turned up in Croke Park. The Cats were totally tuned in. When a team gets to that pitch on the big day, they are capable of beating anyone. This is the theory anyway!

Declan Kidney is a believer and this is why his Munster teams were so brilliant at confounding the critics and delivering one-off performances that wowed Europe and got him the Irish job. A Grand Slam was added to his list of achievements as Ireland spoke about treating “every game as a cup final” – a favourite mantra of his. This they did. This they will do in the World Cup. They will perform against Australia and they will beat Italy. After that, we can review our prospects.

The Paul O’Connells of the rugby world have plenty in common with the Noel Hickeys of the hurling world. The warriors that they are, their sheer pride in their performances should never be under-estimated. This is O’Connell’s last World Cup, Sunday might have been Noel Hickey’s All-Ireland swansong. What a way to go out for the Dunammagin farmer. If it was his last final, he finished in the style that all greats should finish in. At the top, winning his eighth All-Ireland medal.

Paul O’Connell might be in the same place. He hasn’t set the rugby world alight for a few seasons now due mostly to injury but his class is not in question. Like Hickey, there are question marks about his recent form; like Hickey, he can answer those questions on the field. Expect a huge few weeks from him.

Tommy Walsh and Brian O’Driscoll share a few traits as well. Both are inspirational for their teams. Both deliver when the stakes are highest. Both punch above their weight. If our captain can remain healthy, he too can set New Zealand alight. His career deserves the crowning glory.

Declan Kidney is a man who takes all those emotional variables into account. Brian Cody is a very similar animal. Both men have one aim in mind: the big day and having the entire squad at a 100% state of readiness come that big day. You’re never going to get this right all the time – plenty of teams can peak days, weeks or even months before the really big day. Perhaps Tipp peaked in the Munster final?

It’s not an exact science with such a chunk of managerial instinct to be pencilled in, but in Brian Cody and Declan Kidney we have two men who get it right more often than most.

In the aftermath of Sunday, much was made of the fact that Kilkenny started thinking about the All-Ireland final of 2011 on the night of the losing final of 2010. Well Declan Kidney has been thinking about this World Cup since the Grand Slam was won. This was the next objective on his coaching horizon and this is where all his eggs were always going to be carefully laid.

The World Cup is here now and we should have confidence in Kidney. Forget your warm-up games and their results. The Cats didn’t win the Walshe Cup or the National League. They had only one aim. It’s the same with Ireland.

Kidney has lost David Wallace from his starting 15 for the key games, but he’ll manage that loss because injuries will always play a part in professional rugby. He probably knows 12 of his first 15 for the Aussie and Italian games. They are Rob Kearney, Tommy Bowe, Brian O’Driscoll, Jonathan Sexton, Eoin Reddan, Sean O’Brien, Jamie Heaslip, O’Connell and O’Callaghan, Flannery, Healy and Ross.

Certain players still have a chance of making an impact because there is always a springer or two at World Cups or on a tour such as this. Stephen Ferris, Keith Earls, Gordon D’Arcy, Conor Murray, Andrew Trimble, Ronan O’Gara, Fergus McFadden, Donnacha Ryan, Rory Best and one or two more will quietly fancy their chances. There are still some places up for grabs. As it should be.

So let’s trust in Deccy in the same way Kilkenny trust in Cody. In the same way that Tipperary did in Liam Sheedy after year one; in the same way they should stick with Declan Ryan now.

Stability is nearly an uncommon virtue in modern sporting managerial roles. But it has a value all its own. In Declan Kidney Ireland have their most successful coach of all time at the helm at the right time. O’Driscoll and O’Connell are the right leaders in the right place and the 2011 World Cup is their time.

Losing four warm up games? We never had our first 15 on the field and the stakes were never at their highest. We’re at the business end now. Judge this team on the Australian and Italian games. Then watch them throw the kitchen sink at whoever we play in the quarter-finals.

Have faith. To catch Emmet's latest column, get 'The Irish Farmers' Journal' every Thursday...