George Hook in the Irish Independent believes that Declan Kidney has a number of big selection calls ahead of Ireland's Six Nations campaign.
"It is the back division that raised eyebrows. How Kidney can justify the selection of Luke Fitzgerald, Keith Earls and Andrew Trimble ahead of Fergus McFadden is a mystery. The coach has picked five wings, three centres and one injured full-back, clearly in the belief that Fitzgerald and Earls can also play at full-back or centre. Neither player, partly perhaps because of injury, has demonstrated anything like their early promise, nor is there evidence this season that either can play anywhere other than on the wing. Trimble remains a big, strong, fast young man of adequate defensive abilities and undelivered promise. Meanwhile, McFadden, not to mention Eoin O'Malley, is bang in form.
The forwards too give cause for concern. Finally, Tony Buckley has been exposed and John Hayes, at an age when he should have his feet up in front of a fire, is asked to perform a job that he can no longer accomplish, which seems to indicate that Mike Ross is now the frontrunner for the number three shirt. Ross is no wunderkind at the scrum. He is a journeyman in his 30s who failed to convince Kidney at Munster and Dean Richards at Harlequins.
The evidence of Friday's game in Paris indicates that he is adequate and no more. A Six Nations starting in Rome will be a big step up in class. Ross is one of four prop forwards in the squad, none of whom can perform their primary task at the highest level."
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