Ronan Kelleher brings blue steel to Irish front row

Now Kelleher and co face their latest challenge, back to high-intensity, high stakes rugby of the championship and a campaign opener at home to Wales this Saturday.

Caelan Doris, Peter O’Mahony and Ronan Kelleher. Picture: INPHO/Ryan Bailey

Ronan Kelleher is being unduly modest when he suggests he is happy to be “lumped in with” his Ireland front-row team-mates as the praise keeps coming their way.

The hooker has been an integral part of the partnership with tighthead prop Tadhg Furlong and reconverted loosehead Andrew Porter that acted as something of a lightning rod for the way Ireland have shifted through the gears under Andy Farrell in the last 10 months.