Kearney: No room for complacency

Rob Kearney learned a valuable lesson as he watched Ireland’s 2007 World Cup campaign stumble with a terrible performance against lowly Georgia in Bordeaux.

Sitting on his couch, having not made Eddie O’Sullivan’s “golden generation” squad, the full-back saw his Irish colleagues struggle under the weight of expectation placed on their shoulders against a much lower-ranked opposition he perceived were being disrespected by the men in green.

Ireland scraped home 14-10 but that was followed by tournament-ending defeats by France and Argentina and the experience was such Bordeaux 2007 has been mentioned “more than once” ahead of the return fixture with the Lelos at the Aviva Stadium this Sunday.