Cool Kelly gets his reward

HIS inclusion in the Irish team to face Australia may have gone unnoticed by many, but John Kelly feels he is back where he belongs.

The 29-year-old has stuck by the same principles that have served him so well throughout his career hard work and application and once again it has paid off.

After starting, and indeed doing nothing wrong in Ireland's opening two Six Nations victories over Italy and France this year, Kelly was replaced by Justin Bishop for the Wales game in Cardiff just as the Irish Grand Slam juggernaut was getting into gear.

It was a tough call by Eddie O'Sullivan and his management team but there was no dissent from Kelly.

Many players would have let off some steam after being dropped for no apparent reason and indeed, after the way Bishop had been jettisoned into the squad, perhaps Kelly would have been entitled to a fit of tantrum.

But he kept his cool, put his head down and worked even harder on his game. In truth, any other reaction just wouldn't have been him.

When he looks back now, Kelly remains mature about the incident. Certainly he was hurt when informed of the decision, but there was no way he was going to let it take over his mind.

"Justin Bishop was back from injury and he was picked in the team it was as simple as that. It was very disappointing at the time but I didn't let it set me back too much.

"At least I was still in the squad and being part of the whole thing was very important. Obviously I was disappointed, but you just keep hoping another opportunity will come along."

It's not the only knock Kelly has had this year. It can't be easy to bounce back from a fourth year of Heineken Cup heartbreak for Munster, especially when the losing margins over the past few years have been minimal.

Toulouse in late April was another tear-inducer for Kelly and his Munster team-mates how do they recover?

How do this bunch of players get their head together and bounce back after such an emotional experience?

"The first year that we got to the final we were beaten by Northampton and that one really set a lot of us back because we didn't really expect to get that far.

Now we're a far more competitive side and we seem to be there of thereabouts every year.

Obviously it's still very upsetting when you lose a semi-final but you can't let it hold you back.

Once it's done it's done, you have to deal with it and move on, but we were satisfied that we went out and did ourselves proud."

But after a series of troughs, the one sure thing is that a peak is only around the corner and for Kelly it comes in the form of a starting place in Saturday's Test against Australia.

The winger was always likely to be a pivotal member of the squad for the Tonga and Samoa leg of the Irish tour, but many believed a starting place in the Australian game was just out of his reach.

Fate played a small hand thanks to Bishop and the late withdrawal of Denis Hickie from the touring party, but the player himself even admits that he was slightly surprised to be named in the starting XV.

However, far from seeing this game as an opportunity to prove to O'Sullivan that he never should have been dropped for the back in March, Kelly simply wants to do the best job possible for the team.

"I'd never go out on the pitch to try to prove points," says Kelly. "You go out there and do your best for everyone. If you go out and try to prove a point you'll probably go off and play your own game.

You have to play to a system to help the team and all you can do is to try your best within the system.

"Last year against New Zealand I played in the centre and that was great. But anytime I play for Ireland it's a real honour, no matter what position I'm playing."

And for the rest of the tour, Kelly will keep with the same formula that has got him where he is today.

"I'm delighted to get an opportunity on Saturday and after that you've then got to set yourself a goal that you're going to try your hardest as possible in everything you do on tour.

We've got a big squad and everyone has to work together for it to be a success, so that's what I'm aiming to do."

If every one of the 39 players on tour worked as hard as the Cork Constitution man to make things right, we could be looking at a team of world beaters.