Kearney’s fired up for a final flourish

ROB KEARNEY says Ireland view Saturday’s series decider in Sydney against Australia as a cup final. Joe Schmidt’s Grand Slam champions bounced back from their opening Test loss to level the series with a 26-21 win in Melbourne on Saturday and Kearney says Ireland will give it everything to finish their campaign on a major high. ‘We’re into a final now,’ he said. ‘We can give every ounce of energy we have. Not that we don’t do that anyway, but there’s something about the last game of the season where it’s just all guns blazing, you throw everything into it to win.’

THE IRELAND Under 20s finally managed a win at the end of their disastrous World Cup campaign in France but they were pushed all the way by a gutsy Japan side in Beziers before emerging 39-33 winners. The victory ensured Ireland finished 11th out of the 12 teams and avoided relegation to the second-tier championship. However, the IRFU review into Noel McNamara and his team promises to be tough reading after losses to France, South Africa, Georgia and Scotland.