The big interview with John Kelly: 'All I want to see is Munster getting better and stronger'

From his playing days to his time spent on the province’s professional game board, John Kelly, has been part of the fabric of Munster rugby for over 20 years. 

John Kelly:’If you’re playing 13 or on the wing, you have a lot of time to think about where you need to be and what you need to do next. While rugby is instinctive to a certain extent, a lot of the game is about thinking and reading the situation and being able to be in that moment.’ Picture: Denis Minihane

“We learned through experience, but it wasn’t just about experience through matches, it was about talking about rugby every day over teas and coffees. People on the outside will never understand how much John Kelly brought to our team. He believed so passionately in Munster, and thought about our success so deeply, that whenever he spoke, everyone listening had the same thought in their head: ‘This guy has it sussed here. I’m going with him.’”

Paul O’Connell, The Battle