Hugh Farrelly runs the rule over Ireland's selection for the opening game of the Six Nations in The Irish Independent.
"Declan Kidney's intriguing team selection in Killiney yesterday saw a first cap for Kevin McLaughlin, the return of 25-year-old, 25-times capped 'veteran' Andrew Trimble and a flurry of conspiracy theories, most of them centring around Ronan O'Gara's inclusion at out-half in place of the injured Jonathan Sexton.
"The phrase 'mind-games' got a lot of airtime amid the media throng's frenzied analysis of Kidney's pick-and-mix machinations. However, once the decision was made to allow Sexton and flanker Stephen Ferris time to recover from dead-leg and knee injuries respectively (10 days ahead of the trip to Paris), this was a selection typical of the Grand Slam-securing supremo's capacity for pragmatic fluidity.
"It is a team to keep people on their toes, exploring new and returning options, and one that arrives laden down with brain-chewing questions..."
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