Ian Keatley vows to overcome kicking frustrations

Ian Keatley has admitted his kicking frustrations have driven him “nuts” but has vowed to stick to his principles as he bids to recover his form.

Keatley yesterday spoke for the first time about the pressures he has endured and the emotions he has gone through since he sent a few crucial goal kicks wide of the mark in some of Munster’s European Cup and Pro12 league matches this season.

However, to his deep frustration, the magic deserted him this season and he was the subject of a negative crowd reaction before Christmas.

The Ireland international is trying to put the episode behind him for the rest of the season. “I’m out there working hard on my goal kicking,” he stresses. “Sometimes you end up thinking so much about it… I’ve driven myself nuts sometimes overthinking it but I’m still sticking to my principles and just keeping working hard trying to tweak one or two things.

“I work so hard at it and try my best to improve every day and that’s what I’m doing. I get frustrated as well. I’m not trying to miss any kicks or anything like that and I just want to do what’s best for the team. If I can get my kicks, it does go a long way toward helping the team and as I said I’m working so hard at it.”

Keatley remains a key part of a Munster team that has suffered three home defeats in a row and is struggling for a top-four spot in the Pro12. Munster face Glasgow Warriors on the 4G pitch at Kilmarnock tomorrow night, the team’s confidence having taken a further battering by Sunday’s loss to Ospreys at Musgrave Park.

“It has been a tough few days,” Keatley said. I think we need to get a win any means possible.

“It doesn’t really matter how the individual performs, I just concentrate on the team if we lose we lose, if I got man of the match and we lost I’d be disappointed or of I played the worst game and we won, while I’d still be personally disappointed but on a team perspective if we win that’s all that matters.”