Ireland latest to be affected by player release
October 31 2008
With the November Test matches just over a week away now it seems the issue of player release is back again - only this time with Ireland.
Having seen Scotland and Wales struggle with their respective player release rows over the past month the Irish Rugby Union have experienced some problems of their own.
In the build up to their opening game, against Canada at Thomond Park, four English-based players - Geordan Murphy (Leicester), Bob Casey (London Irish), Mike Ross (Harlequins) and Roger Wilson (Northampton) - were barred from travelling to Ireland for a week long training camp.
The decision not to release the players was made by Premier Rugby Limited (PRL), the organisation run by the English clubs for the clubs. However it did not affect Wasps scrum-half Eoin Reddan.
Reddan, Ireland's first-choice scrum-half of late, has a clause in his Wasps contract that allows him to attend all Ireland sessions. But with the squad being cut from 43 to 30 on Friday the other four English-based players could suffer as a result of not training.
Kidney admitted they could be disadvantaged as a result of the PRL action.
"It leaves them behind a bit, not having been present does put them at a disadvantage," he told The Irish Examiner.
"We're not going to use the players as pawns in that game. We'll see who the best players are for next week, but this really isn't a help to anyone."
With the International rugby Board set to meet the Premiership clubs next week there is a hope that further issues will be avoided, not least from Irish team manager Paul McNaughton.
The meeting has been arranged to hammer out a long-term agreement regarding the release of players for the November internationals, the Six Nations Championship and other international commitments.
"We thought we had an agreement with the clubs, but the PRL then got involved and they decided not to release the Irish or Welsh players for this period," McNaughton said.
"It was a surprise because we thought we had them available for two or three days this week. Hopefully the IRB can sort out the matter with the PRL next month."
Kidney, enjoying his first season in charge of the Ireland team, was happy to focus on the positive aspects to come out of the last week.
"It has been great, we're getting lots of new ideas from very experienced people," he said.
Kidney will embark on his international coaching career at a ground that was his second home for almost a decade as Munster boss, in which time he brought the Heineken Cup home twice.
"Going back to Thomond Park will be a huge honour," he said.
"I'm excited about the stadium itself; the people who have built it have done an extraordinary job in terms of mixing the new with the old. I've enjoyed watching the matches there so far although I suppose the seat I'll have the next time will be a little warmer."
Kidney is not the only one excited about playing at the new-look Thomond Park, captain Brian O'Driscoll is also eager to grace the famous pitch.
"To have a Thomond crowd cheering for you is a bit of a novelty, but it's turned into a fantastic stadium now and I'm looking forward to it as much as anyone," O'Driscoll said.
Despite there being several exciting players coming through, such as Munster's Keith Earls, Kidney said he will not be rushing into any mindless selections.
"There's an onus on us not to hand out any freebies. We have to take into consideration the importance of the game; ranking points for the next World Cup are at stake," the coach continued.
"In relation to the three games this autumn, it's probably the most important because of the way the IRB ranking system works. It really is like a mini World Cup pool because that's the competition we're trying to qualify for out of this series of games."
The positive mood in the camp had, said Kidney, come about on the back of big results in Europe from Munster and Leinster and good work in progress in both Ulster and Connacht.
"We're well aware of what has been going on in Munster and Leinster, but huge credit must go to the people in the other provinces operating with younger and less experienced players," he added.