Kidney relief as Kearney finally inks new deal

ROB KEARNEY yesterday put months of frustrating contract talks behind him to sign on the dotted line with the IRFU, one which also ties him to Leinster until the summer of 2013.

The injured Ireland full-back had made little secret of his displeasure at the length of time it was taking to finalise his immediate future, but he now joins a long line of fellow internationals to have signed with the union.

“You’re always delighted to see when a player and the IRFU have managed to come up with an agreement,” said Declan Kidney. “We want to keep all our players at home. It allows us to prepare that much better, and it allows us to see the guys that bit more often.

“Also, it is by and large why the provinces are successful, because we manage to keep our players at home. It’s a win-win for everyone: player, provincial teams, national teams and the IRFU.”

There was further news on the injury front and, while no worries have arisen among the 22 who faced Scotland, there was confirmation Stephen Ferris has been ruled out for the rest of the Six Nations.

It was no surprise. The Ulster flanker hasn’t played since round five of the Heineken Cup in January due to a freak knee injury and it remains to be seen if he recovers in time for the province’s European quarter-final against Northampton next month.

“It’s too early to say,” said team manager Paul McNaughton. “He is down for a consultant’s visit to London this weekend and they will know more about that but it is too early to write him out of the Heineken Cup game at this stage.”

The only other update of note concerned Tomás O’Leary, whose back injury is still being addressed in rehab and who has not been ruled out of the last two fixtures away to Wales and at home to England.

That last tie promises a memorable end to the campaign and the stakes have certainly been raised for the rugby squad following the cricketers’ defeat of the Three Lions in Bangalore.

“Yeah it was brilliant, wasn’t it?” said Kidney “We had different meetings (on Wednesday) and I came down to the team room and a load of the boys were around the television when it was coming up to the last innings.

“Our heartiest congratulations to them. When you see an Irish team going out doing something like that it does give everybody a lift. Are they under the heading of an associated team? They are fairly married now”