Rob Kearney deal shows IRFU has its house in order

Maybe the most remarkable thing about Rob Kearney’s new IRFU contract, confirmed yesterday along with extensions for Irish team-mates Rory Best and Iain Henderson, is the lack of discussion that has shadowed its signing.

Kearney’s selection in Joe Schmidt’s side had caused considerable debate in recent years.

Time and again, his detractors lamented his presence at full-back and the absence of other, younger, contenders in the No. 15 shirt.