Kearney happy to be back in the picture

IT’S a measure of the new-found strength in Irish rugby that on the week he’s called up to the Irish Six Nations squad, Rob Kearney may find himself on the bench for Leinster’s Heineken Cup clash against Gloucester.

Over the last three weeks 20-year-old Kearney, a former Irish Examiner National Junior Sports Star, has taken full advantage of the injury-enforced absence of the experienced Girvan Dempsey, and gained the attention of Eddie O’Sullivan.

A solid performance against Ulster, he stepped up again against the Ospreys, followed by his biggest day out, last week’s Heineken Cup win over Leinster bogey-side Edinburgh, has put Kearney very much back in the forefront of emerging Irish talent.