Kearney up for the challenge
The Louth man added a third Heineken Cup medal to his collection and was named European Player of the Year for his exploits in Leinster’s sensational season.
Kearney has been ever present for Ireland during the Declan Kidney era and has been one of the top performers in the green shirt this season.
When it comes to claiming high balls from the heavens, Kearney is the best in the business. His fielding and kicking skills have always been on the money, but it seems as if the Leinster fullback’s attacking game has gone up another level.
You think of that sumptuous flat pass that put Tommy Bowe in for a try against Wales on the opening Six Nations weekend, or that scything line through the Clermont defence to set up Cian Healy’s touchdown in that nail-biting Heineken Cup semi-final victory in Bordeaux. Going forward, Kearney has been a menace for opposition defences in recent times.
There has been plenty of talk about Ireland’s seemingly never-ending season but Kearney does not seem to be feeling the strain.
“I always say, when you’re winning games, it’s much easier,” said the 38-cap fullback at the team’s base in Auckland yesterday.
“Thankfully at Leinster we’ve had a pretty successful season so mentally you feel good; physically you feel good.
“You just want to keep going and keep winning. It’s only when you start losing games and taking some big bashings, that you start to feel its toll a little bit. That’s why it’s important we get a win at the weekend.”
Joe Schmidt’s class of 2012 seldom suffered defeat which made the RaboDirect Pro12 final loss on the final day of the season all the more painful for Kearney. It was shaping up to be the perfect season for the men in blue after retaining the Heineken Cup and finishing the regular season at the summit of the league table 10 points ahead of the second-placed Ospreys.
Alas, the double dream was not to be, with the Shane Williams-inspired Welsh outfit spoiling the party in Dublin.
“I think subconsciously it was probably quite difficult for us, as a team, to maybe get up for another final,” said Kearney of the 31-30 final loss to the Welsh region.
“Getting up for a Heineken Cup final does take a lot out of you, both mentally and physically. It was massive disappointment for us.
“We really wanted to win that. It wasn’t to be and I think it shows just how difficult doing the double is.
“But I think to be fair, the Ospreys on the day played really good rugby — we’ll probably kick ourselves that we gave up a 10-point lead that we had going into the final quarter, but in big games you can’t give up leads like that so easily.”
Kearney hopes the good memories from Ireland’s last visit to Eden Park will serve his team well against the All Blacks on Saturday.
The former British and Irish Lions representative is looking forward to stepping onto that hallowed Auckland turf again.
“We’ve got really strong memories of Eden Park,” he stated. “We played one of our finest games collectively as a team where each individual stepped up and played really well. I think that has to count for something, albeit we’re against different opposition but you try to use every small little thing in your favour and if playing Eden Park is one of those things, then all well and good.”
It was against New Zealand that Kearney first announced himself on the international stage. On an atrocious night in Wellington’s Westpac Stadium back in June 2008, the young full-back put in a commanding performance in a tense 21-11 loss that won him plaudits from players and pundits in New Zealand. Despite being on the losing side on four separate occasions against the Kiwis, Kearney has always acquitted himself well and is relishing opportunity to change history. “I think beating the All Blacks will be one of the ultimates for us. They are the world champions and we’ve never beaten them before so the odds are stacked against us.”
* Donal Lenihan’s Inside Rugby column will appear on Friday ahead of the first test.
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