Kidney's men topple Boks to end year on high
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Sunday November 29 2009
Ireland withstood a last-minute assault from world champions South Africa in front of a full house at Croke Park yesterday to secure a record 11-game unbeaten run.
The 15-10 win confirmed Declan Kidney as IRB coach of the year, and South Africa were named as team of the year thanks to their victory over the Lions and in the Tri Nations. In Kidney's 12 months on the job, Ireland have won the Triple Crown, Grand Slam, Churchill Cup and beaten the world champions.
"They are World Cup holders," he said. "They are everything and we really wanted to challenge ourselves against the best and see how we fared. They had a penalty that came back off the post and there is always very little in these matches. Sometimes they fall your way.
"Rugby is in a good place, but next year's Six Nations is a whole different kettle of fish. We have to go to Paris and London and these will be difficult matches. And these things are on such a thin line. We have had some good results and I hope these will continue, but if the players keep fighting like they have done, you would never know what's around the corner.
"The World Cup is two years away and if we do get there the object will be to get out of the group as it's so hard to get out of your group in those competitions. I think the best thing we can do is what we've been doing and take each match as it comes."
Ireland's next match will be as Six Nations champions, against Italy in Croke Park on February 6, and they are second favourites behind France -- whom they play in Paris this season -- for the championship outright. Currently, Ireland's only long-term casualty is Luke Fitzgerald, though they lost two players yesterday, Paddy Wallace and Stephen Ferris, both with ankle injuries. The prognosis on both will be made this week.
Yesterday's Test was Ireland's third straight home win over the Springboks. With the move to Aviva Stadium next year, which opens with a game in August between combined provinces, this was the last November international to be played at Croke Park.
Yet again, captain Brian O'Driscoll played a huge part in the win, making a vital tackle in the last play to kill off the Springboks' hopes of saving something from the game.
"It was backs to the wall, bodies on the line stuff but it was great to finish them out," he said. "That first half, they really came at us. Jonno (Sexton) was kicking the goals for us, keeping us on the scoreboard and then the second half we played some great stuff and really had a cut off them and Jonno kept us ticking over on the scoreboard. The players hung on to the death and didn't give up easily.
"Twelve months ago, we were in a pretty dark place," added the skipper. "We did a lot of soul searching, there was huge honesty. To turn it around as quickly as we did reflects huge credit on everyone involved; the players, coaches, management, support staff, everyone."
- BRENDAN FANNING at Croke Park
Sunday Independent
