Declan Kidney: ‘Our job is to stay professional’

IRISH rugby coach Declan Kidney believes his Grand Slam-chasing players should enjoy the build up to Saturday’s mammoth clash with Wales at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium. Rejuvenated Ireland will bid to win a first Grand Slam since 1948 when they lock horns with Warren Gatland’s Welsh side (kick-off 5.30pm).


Ireland are guaranteed to win the RBS Six Nations Championship if they avoid defeat by less than 13 points against the Welsh. But a first Grand Slam title in 41 years is the main aim this Saturday after Ireland extended their winning run in this season’s championship to four games with a 22-15 success over Scotland at Murrayfield.
Coach Kidney believes his players should embrace the attention they receive in advance of this weekend’s clash: “I won’t be shielding the players from the pressure. This is a week to be enjoyed. If you don’t enjoy times like this you won’t enjoy anything.
“Our job is to stay professional. We’ll prepare the same way for this one as we did with every other match, but admittedly this is new territory for everybody. Wales will be tough. I’ll be accused of mind games, but they are defending Grand Slam champions and are playing at home.
“They’re playing for the championship, for the Triple Crown and have rested most of their players this week.”
Ireland and Munster supporters will await news on Denis Leamy’s shoulder injury which forced the number eight off during the course of Saturday evening’s game with great interest.
Meanwhile the Irish women’s team, captained by Limerick woman Joy Neville, scored a 23-0, three-try, victory over Scotland in the Women’s Six Nations Championship - the win automatically qualifies Ireland for next year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup
Ireland face Wales at Taffs Wells in Cardiff next Saturday (kick-off 1pm) in their final match of the campaign.
The Irish clubs side suffered an 18-31 defeat to their Scottish counterparts in an international match at Myreside, Watsonians FC on Friday night.
UL Bohemian clubman Ed Torrie lined out at full-back for the game while Young Munster’s Derek Corcoran played on the wing.
Limerick man Barry O’Mahony, now playing with Dolphin, scored one of the Irish side’s two tries.
Ireland’s hopes of achieving an RBS Under-20 Six Nations Grand Slam were blown out of the water in Perth when they suffered a 35-20 defeat to Scotland. Garryowen’s Ronan O’Mahony lined out on the wing for Ireland while his clubmates Andrew Burke and Conor Murray were included on the substitutes’ bench.

Colm Kinsella