Kearney up for Connacht challenge
Only 12 months have passed since the Clongowes Wood student was electrifying the Leinster Schools Cup and captaining the Irish Schools on their tour of Australia.
A glittering path seemed pre-ordained even then, but not even Kearney himself could have known he would have travelled so far in such a short period of time.
Since his elevation from the Leinster Academy to the senior set-up last summer he has earned two Heineken Cup caps and the province’s player of the month award for September. Pretty impressive for a full-back earning his first campaign ribbons out on the wing.
“It’s been a massive jump but very enjoyable,” said the former Louth minor footballer and Irish Examiner Junior Sports Star winner.
“I got some opportunities and it has snowballed from there. U19s and U20s rugby was the scene last season so it is a huge jump - but I’m delighted to have made it, and to be holding my spot here.”
It was the arrival of the new management team of Michael Cheika and John Knox from Australia that provided the catalyst for his swift elevation.
When a run of injuries cut into Leinster’s reserves, the new men cared little for Kearney’s youth.
Cheika and Know felt he was good enough, therefore he was old enough.
“We have two Australians coaching the team who adopt that sort of attitude and that has been hugely beneficial to me.
“I am very grateful for that. If we can prove that young players are able for it, then maybe more Irish coaches will begin to adopt that attitude.”
Players are being blooded from an increasingly young age around the world, although in Ireland the trend is yet to fully catch on.
Ulster’s Andrew Trimble is an obvious exception. Although two years older than Kearney, the Ballymena centre has likewise only come to the fore this season with his province.
Kearney was called into an extended Irish squad earlier this season but has yet to penetrate beyond the fringes as Trimble did so effectively against Australia and Romania.
It was a rare disappointment in a season to remember. “Absolutely, but I’m delighted for Andrew. He’s a lovely guy and he did very well. Naturally you are going to be very disappointed, but you can take a lot of positives from the experience,” he said.
“You’re in an environment with some very talented international players so you learn from that and you try to develop your own game.”
The Six Nations aren’t likely to cough up too many openings for such a young buck, so for the foreseeable future it’s all Leinster.
Connacht are first up for consideration today in a programme that will see the province play nine games in nine weeks.
“It’s a big game this week - Connacht will be very difficult to beat away - it’s very important for us to get a win with the Heineken Cup games coming up back to back and then two more important Celtic League games coming up after. So in that respect, it’s a crucial match for us,” he added.
: McFarland, Loughney, Hogan, Knoop, Fogarty, Merrigan, Gannon, Farley (capt), Short, Lacey, Swift, O’Connor, Rigney, Muldoon, Tierney, Keane, Warwick, Slemen, McPhillips, Robinson, Hearty, Matthews, Williams, Mailei, Yapp, Mostyn.
: Dempsey, Lewis, D’Arcy, Horgan, Kearney, Contepomi (capt), Easterby, Corrigan, Jackman, Green, Williams, Gissing, Miller, Gleeson, Heaslip.
: Blaney, Byrne, Jowitt, Byrnes, Ronan, O’Riordan, Hepworth, Hickey.
: Simon McDowell (Ireland).
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