RUGBY:THREE GAMES in, Ireland find themselves having beaten the bottom two away and lost at home to France, thereby leaving no one, least of all themselves, shouting from the rooftop. That they've played some good rugby, outscoring the opposition seven tries to two, has if anything added to the prevailing sense of frustration.

Declan Kidney sought to keep a perspective on things yesterday during Ireland’s two-day training camp at Carton House in Maynooth when he praised the team’s shape in defence and attack, while admitting that their ball retention needed to improve to ease the pressure on their defence.

“After that then you go into the micro side of it and start thinking about all the units, scrums, lineouts – (receiving) kick-offs improved the last day. I was pleased with that. The back line has been doing okay.

“I know that there is more in us, but I am not upset with how they are going about their business either.”

Inevitably, the cursed subject of penalties, which has seen Ireland’s count total 35-16 against them, has been a recurring theme outside and, as Kidney admitted, within the squad.

There has been much debate about the self-recriminatory tone of some player comments, especially with regard to the penalty count, but Kidney said he had no issue with this.

“A lot of them have been successful over the years and they haven’t got that way by having no opinions. I’m not going to do anything about that, so if they express them, that’s fine then too.”

He understood the tendency to be harsh on themselves, but warned all of this could also make the team inhibited, “because if we go out and we are afraid to compete, we’ll be run over. And we know that a lot of that is in our own control and that’s what we’ll be working on.”

He also noted that emotions are running highest in the immediate aftermath of a match, when players are interviewed.

Regarding the excerpt from Jamie Heaslip’s television interview, in which he wondered aloud as to the likelihood that Jonny Sexton and Fergus McFadden would be entitled to seek clarification from the coach as to the reasons they were omitted for the Scottish game, again Kidney said he had no issues.

“Jamie just gave his own experiences, and we chat about it. I didn’t like leaving them out any more than they liked it; well, I’m sure as a player you like it even less. They were playing well and that’s just the way it is. We chat about it, and part of a coach’s job is that you have to make up your mind as to who plays and who doesn’t.”

Regarding Ireland’s more active use of the bench last Sunday, Kidney maintained that nothing was pre-ordained and added that Scotland made two “pertinent” changes, presumably referring to the half-backs, which, coupled with Irish mistakes, saw the home side earn more field position.

Kidney revealed he had joined up with “a load of the boys” in the Irish team room to witness the climax to Ireland’s thrilling win over England in the cricket World Cup on Wednesday.

“Our heartiest congratulations to them: when you see an Irish team going out doing something like that it does give everybody a lift.

“I think there were a lot of things around their game: are they under the heading of an associated team? They are fairly married now!

“All credit to them; it’s a great achievement and I hope they go on and back it up.”

Amid all the negativity swirling around the Irish air of late, he was also grateful for “a positive story on the front of the paper”, adding that “the unemployment figures” and the difficulties in industry and the financial world were “bound to be a downer on everybody, and we know there is an onus on us to represent everybody; if there was ever a time to represent Ireland well, and the cricketers showed that yesterday.

“That’s what we’re trying to do, and maybe we’re guilty of trying too hard to do that. That has led to some of the errors and we just have to get the balance right between knowing what we want to do, and being able to do it in the best way possible.

“In times like this, there are bound to be different things going on. There will be a new government coming in, we’re coming into spring and life is what it is.

“Ireland is still a brilliant place to live, I believe, so let’s make it as good as we can, stop looking back and start getting on with things.”

Ferris out for final two games

WHILE THE Irish management retain the hope Tomás O'Leary may yet come back into the equation for the games against Wales and England, as expected Stephen Ferris has effectively been ruled out for the rest of the Six Nations, and his chances of playing for Ulster in the Heineken Cup quarter-finals are touch and go, writes Gerry Thornley.

Ferris aggravated an old injury in his left knee in Ulster's 43-6 win away to Aironi on January 22nd and, having undergone a couple of scans, hasn't played since.

"I think it's fair to say that we can rule Stephen Ferris out of the rest of the Six Nations so he is gone for those two games," said Ireland team manager Paul McNaughton. "Tomás O'Leary is continuing rehab with his back and we are not ruling him out of any games at this stage."

As for Ferris' chances of featuring for Ulster in their Heineken Cup quarter-final away to Northampton five weeks from Saturday, McNaughton said: "It's too early to say. He is down for a consultant's visit to London this weekend and they will know more about that, but it is too early to write him out of the Heineken Cup game at this stage."