Kearney aims to be centre of attraction
In his first European campaign and over the five games, he produced solid and sporadically spectacular performances. But it wasn’t until he danced and dazzled around New Zealand and Australian terrain in the summer that the rugby world stood up and took notice.
Southern hemisphere press were effusive in their praise of the young buck from Carlingford in Louth. Clever footwork, aerial prowess, attack-mindedness and a booming left boot were the hallmarks of Ireland’s best player on tour, and it seemed he had made the Ireland No 15 position his own following those jaw dropping performances in the Cake Tin in Wellington and Melbourne’s Telstra Dome.
Lions contender was quickly pencilled in beside his name. And then you’d have thought that after the summer break he’d be a shoo-in for the full-back slot at Leinster, but Michael Cheika had other plans.
Isa Nacewa and Girvan Dempsey ended up sharing the shirt with Kearney getting just one start “in my favourite position” this season. He was moved to the left wing by Cheika, and while no less conspicuous there, his impact was less immediate.
That he’d play full-back for Ireland in the Autumn Series always seemed a long shot.
“It’s not my decision (where I play),” says Kearney. “I always say full-back is my preferred position; that’s where I like playing all games. Obviously I’d have preferred to have been playing there this weekend, but look at it this way – there is competition to get into the first 15 and to play for Ireland is always the number one priority. ”
Still, this mature 22-year-old won’t begrudge the youngster in possession of the shirt tomorrow evening in Thomond Park. Of all the players in the Ireland’s backline that face Canada — with the exception of Ronan O’Gara — Keith Earls has made the most telling impact over the first block of club/provincial games this season.
“He’s exciting,” Kearney says of Earls. “If he wasn’t he wouldn’t be on the team. He brings a lot to the game – he’s quick and possesses all the right attributes of a good player. You’re playing with somebody new and you’re building a relationship. We’ve been training together the last couple of weeks and we’ll go over things a little this week but, more than anything, Keith’s inclusion brings more excitement to the team as well.”
And it a most electrifying back-three completed by Tommy Bowe, the Monaghan native who’s having an extraordinarily successful first season with Ospreys.
Add to the mix the Brian O’Driscoll-Luke Fitzgerald midfield axis and little wonder the Ireland captain described earlier this week that the dawn of the Kidney era is a rebirth of sorts for Irish rugby.
“It’s been really good around camp,” adds Kearney. “People are really happy with the way things are going. Every one is training hard. Nobody had a clue what was going to come out the morning the 22 was named so inevitably there was quite a lot of anxiety around the place on Monday and Tuesday but quickly things focused towards one goal at the weekend.”
Kearney, of course, will always have a soft spot for Kidney. It was the Corkman who phoned him one March day in 2005 to bring his boots to a Leinster training session in Donnybrook. “I was only 18,” recalls Kearney. “There was a huge injury list at Leinster and Declan called me in as an option to go on the bench the day of a Magners League game against Ospreys.’’
BEFORE kick-off, however, he pulled aside and said, ‘listen you won’t be involved today, you’ve plenty of time on your hands’. At the time I was disappointed, this man telling me to bide my time. ‘Why couldn’t I have my chance now?’ I asked myself. But looking back now I think Declan was right.”
He has come a long way since then and produced his best this season at home to Wasps in the Heineken Cup, a performance that prompted Shaun Edwards to proclaim that rugby bosses should raid the GAA market for players.
The Edwards story was apt: in Kearney’s previous life he was a promising footballer and played with Louth minors.
“Recently we’ve seen so many aerial contests. I’ve always said the many years I played Gaelic have benefited me. I’d like to think some of my skills in the air are down to playing a lot of Gaelic football.”
Who knows where the next couple of weeks will take him and who knows what Kidney has up his sleeve when the XV to play New Zealand is named Tuesday lunchtime. First up, though, are Canada and when asked whether it’s hard to not take Canada for granted given what comes after them in Croke Park, Kearney cites Ireland’s 2007 World Cup experience as a warning.
“I think an attitude like that signifies a poor professional really. Any team in the world can cause upsets. We saw it in the World Cup, the couple of so-called weaker teams …you know if we don’t turn up we could be in for a real shock.”
But this young man won’t be found wanting – even if he’s out on the wing.
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