Strong tour: Tony Buckley

Where the Irish are sitting right now is something of a mystery as injuries have blighted their recent Tests against New Zealand and Australia.

Declan Kidney has been without the likes of Paul O'Connell, David Wallace, Luke Fitzgerald, Jerry Flannery and Stephen Ferris on tour, which hasn't helped the former Munster guru's cause in what is his worst spell since taking the national reins.

The poor run all began at Croke Park in the Six Nations - when an in-form Scotland put the seal on Ireland's surrendering of their crown claimed the previous year - and since then things have not improved against the Barbarians, All Blacks, New Zealand Maori and finally the Wallabies.

Defeat to New Zealand at Yarrow Stadium in New Plymouth was their most painful 80 minutes as Jamie Heaslip's red-card proved to be the catalyst in a 66-28 negative. Nine tries in all were put past the tourists on a night that some had billed to be their best chance of claiming a big scalp.

So where to now then before November? They first need to find the right balance between youth and experience as Kidney will find it difficult to compete against Australia in World Cup 2011 if he opts for the old stagers. One man they should persist with is Tony Buckley ahead of John Hayes. It may also be the beginning of the end for Marcus Horan as a regular starter. Further back and they do appear to have a lock foursome that can keep each other honest - Donncha O'Callaghan, Mick O'Driscoll and Dan Tuohy are worthy partners for O'Connell.

Jonathan Sexton now seems mature enough to take over the fly-half duties on a permanent basis while the experienced Ronan O'Gara gets shunted into a 'emerge when required' role from the bench - but Ireland must not downplay his possible worth to the big-match cause. Outside the Leinster number ten and not forgetting the shoo-in that is Tomas O'Leary comes the dilemma of whether to go for a Dublin-based three-quarter, with Gordon D'Arcy alongside Brian O'Driscoll, or offer Sexton a playmaking foil in the shape of Paddy Wallace.

In Kidney's words after the Wallaby result: "There is now more competition for places and whoever plays well next season will get to wear the shirt." Maybe that was one Emerald nugget to come out of their recent journey, that the Irish were forced into blooding players that otherwise would not have got their shot at proving there is life after the 50-plus cappers.

What is desperately needed though in the near future is a strong - if unbeaten - autumn against South Africa, Samoa, New Zealand and finally Argentina at the newly built Aviva Stadium. Then it is about the Six Nations as that Pool clash with Australia closes in.

By Adam Kyriacou