THE question to South Africa captain John Smit was direct, the answer even more so.

"John, which Irish players impressed you?"

"All of them," replied Smit, with a rueful smile.

In particular, one assumes, his leadership counterpart Brian O'Driscoll, who followed up his inspirational displays on the Lions summer tour with the type of all-encompassing outing that has characterised his 2009 -- making the subsequent decision to award the IRB Player of the Year award to Richie McCaw harder to fathom.

It was a performance epitomised perfectly by his bone-shuddering hit on full-back Zane Kirchner as the Springboks hunted a last-play winning score at Croke Park -- a tackle that left O'Driscoll on his back and South Africa's end-of-season aspirations in tatters.

They had a good enough 2009 in any case, picking up the Lions series, Tri Nations title and Team Of The Year award along the way -- today is a day to talk of their conquerors.

It is not that long since the Ireland team was an international rugby punch-line in the dark ages, also known as the 1990s. The Paddies who huffed and puffed for 60 minutes before you blew their house away in the last 20.

The side that lost twice to Namibia, three times to a pre-Six Nations Italy and once to Samoa in Dublin, the one that was humiliated regularly in Paris, London and, for pity's sake, Edinburgh and the one that created a dastardly cocktail involving a mixture of anticipation, capitulation, frustration and the key ingredient for supporters, (and a succession of coaches) resignation.

Between 1990 and 1999, Ireland's win ratio was 29pc, 47 defeats from 68 matches. Since Declan Kidney took control for last November's international series, it stands at 88pc, that's 11 wins, a draw and one defeat to New Zealand from 13 matches, including an unbeaten record in 2009 incorporating a first Grand Slam in 61 years and victory over the world champions.

You'd pinch yourself if you could find a spot that wasn't bruised from that activity. Kidney's confirmation as Coach Of The Year on Saturday was a formality and though his modesty prohibits any acknowledgement of the schoolteacher's elevation to the role of Irish rugby messiah -- that is a futile struggle -- it is hard to hide beneath the surface when you walk on water.

No squad under Kidney's control is going to be anything other than grounded and though his players will never be allowed to get ahead of themselves the 2011 World Cup development scheme is operating smoothly and, this time, Ireland will be genuine -- not merely self-professed -- contenders.

All his calls this month have paid off and, while other higher profile positions will attract the plaudits, Ireland's success in November was founded on the men in Kidney's front-row seats. Tight-head John Hayes and hooker Jerry Flannery went into the three-match series chronically short of game time but their coach gambled on the Munster pair's experience and capacity to play their way through -- their application was magnificent and vital.

Gruelling

At loose-head, it was another big afternoon for young Cian Healy who was given a gruelling examination at scrum-time by Brendon Botha, one of the finest tutors in the game. The Ulster prop went through his full box of tricks and put enormous pressure on Healy and the Irish scrum but, just as he had in similar circumstances against Australia, Healy stuck at it and the Irish platform steadied as the game progressed -- helped by Botha's absence from shortly after half-time.

Around the park, Healy was again one of Ireland's go-to men, in attack and defence and behind the front three, Donncha O'Callaghan and Paul O'Connell had massive games, comfortably superior to Andries Bekker and Victor Matfield.

Kidney's biggest, and most scrutinised, call was selecting Jonathan Sexton ahead of Ronan O'Gara at out-half on the basis of the need to "find out more" about the Leinster man and it was another one that paid off handsomely.

Sexton looked composed throughout, finding his men and taking his options with calm authority while slotting the five winning penalties as casually as if it had been in an AIL match for St Mary's at Templeville Road -- the arena where he was operating regularly not that long ago.

What Kidney does for the Six Nations remains to be seen but he now knows beyond any doubt that he has two top-quality out-halves to build with.

"We might have won by more if ROG was playing, who knows?" pointed out Kidney. "It's a blessing to have an up-and-coming out-half and a world-class out-half, long may that continue."

If Sexton was on his game, his opposite number Morne Steyn -- so imperious in the summer -- had his switch on 'off'. He has gained a reputation as one of the most formidable place-kickers in the world game but Steyn's radar was awry on Saturday and his three missed penalties and fluffed drop goal were central to Irish confidence. That was further bolstered when his replacement Ruan Pienaar had his effort come off the post with the Springboks chasing their five-point deficit and 10 minutes left on the clock.

It meant all the visitors' scores arrived in the first-half, when Schalk Burger took advantage of rare hesitation in the Irish defence to power through after a quarter of an hour, a score which Steyn converted before tacking on a drop goal 10 minutes later.

At that point, the world champions led 10-3 but Ireland were dominating possession (67pc in the first half) and after half an hour South Africa had made 44 tackles to Ireland's 18.

Sexton brought it back to 10-6 at half-time and, even though the Boks were in the hunt at the death, the Irish dominated the resumption and their out-half made it count with penalties after 47, 51 and 64 minutes.

Gert Smal will focus on the scrum before Italy come to town in February, but Ireland's forward coach had the line-out operating with clinical precision and his inside information on the pack he guided to World Cup glory two years ago tormented the Boks.

Kidney's two substitutions were injury-enforced and both Gordon D'Arcy and Sean O'Brien did superbly when brought on for the unfortunate Paddy Wallace and Stephen Ferris respectively, with D'Arcy looking sharp and physical alongside O'Driscoll.

The back three were excellent to a man, with Rob Kearney the stand-out, while Tomas O'Leary buzzed effectively at scrum-half.

There was plenty of kick tennis on show, and plenty of efforts from both teams that could have been better directed but, though they failed to score a try, Ireland played most of the attacking rugby while South Africa left Bryan Habana unused on the left wing.

The scrum will come in for criticism, particularly with the Italians first up, but that will get better and the main area for improvement is in the area of decision-making close to their opponents' line.

Ireland had several spells just metres away from a touchdown but the repeated pick-and-drives were meat and drink to the Springbok defenders and it was crying out for a set-move call, either through a choreographed forward-based effort or through the backline. Imagination is the key in those situations.

The breakdown was an issue also. Croke Park was enveloped in the type of fog more associated with Victorian London and South Africa had their own Jack the Ripper in Heinrich Brussow, the flanker snaffling several turnovers. But Ireland got their share also with Jamie Heaslip and David Wallace having big afternoons.

However, in the scenario of having a settled squad with options in every area and one that has forgotten how to lose, having areas to improve on is no bad thing.

When O'Driscoll struck and Nigel Owens finally blew for time, Heaslip clenched his fists and roared his approval. One of the most outgoing and personable of the squad, the No 8's exultation was the antithesis of the crushing, monosyllabic pain Heaslip exhibited after the Lions agonising defeat to the Springboks in the second Test five months ago.

It is not a good week for religious references but Kidney continues to lead Ireland out of the wilderness and the promised land that is New Zealand 2011 is coming into view.

IRELAND -- R Kearney; T Bowe, B O'Driscoll, P Wallace (G D'Arcy 34), K Earls; J Sexton, T O'Leary; C Healy, J Flannery, J Hayes; D O'Callaghan, P O'Connell; S Ferris (S O'Brien 40), D Wallace, J Heaslip.

SOUTH AFRICA -- Z Kirchner; JP Pietersen, J Fourie, W Olivier (J De Villiers 65), B Habana; M Steyn (R Pienaar 61), F du Preez; T Mtawarira, J Smit (capt), BJ Botha (B Du Plessis 48); A Bekker (D Potgeiter 69), V Matfield; H Brussow, S Burger, D Rossouw.

REF -- N Owens (Wales).

- Hugh Farrelly

Irish Independent