'That's what we're all chasing' - Younger brigade keen on filling Six Nations-shaped hole in CV 

Landing a first Guinness Six Nations title in five years can serve as the next great step in Ireland’s development as a leading light in world rugby yet Hugo Keenan believes it will mean taking a big step forward from last November’s Autumn Nations Series.

SIX NATIONS RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP 2023

Your home for the latest news, views and analysis of this year's Six Nations Championship from our award winning sports team.

SIX NATIONS RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP 2023

Your home for the latest news, views and analysis of this year's Six Nations Championship from our award winning sports team.

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Andy Farrell’s world number one-ranked side open their 2023 championship campaign with a tough challenge against Warren Gatland’s Wales in Cardiff this Saturday and with a group of players such as Keenan, 26, who have yet to experience a title-winning campaign.

The full-back is one of at least seven possible starters capped since Ireland claimed the Grand Slam in 2018 and grabbing some silverware is a major motivation for the younger generation in head coach Farrell’s squad.

“That's what we're all chasing,” Keenan said on Tuesday as Ireland continued their preparation for Saturday’s opener at the Campus at Quinta do Lago on the Algarve.

“I've never experienced it. I know some of the lads have from the 2018 side, and we're all pretty determined to do it again and I think it's taking things one game at a time.

“That's the challenge, that's the goal the coaches are setting and we're setting for ourselves. That's what we're definitely going to be aiming for. I think we have the capabilities to, so it's just about performing individually and collectively.” 

Yet while the national team finished a successful 2022 on top of the world rankings following November wins over South Africa, Fiji and Australia, there is also the incentive to increase performance levels from those three victories. 

Farrell promised there would be honest feedback for the players following the Autumn Series when his squad reconvened in Dublin last week before transferring to Portugal last Thursday and Keenan said: “I don't think we performed to the best of our ability over those games.

“I know it was still such a successful campaign with three wins, but I don't think we quite clicked in a lot of the areas. It was great beating South Africa, but then we slipped down in our standards against Fiji, and it wasn't the most polished performance against Australia.

“I think to go and compete in the Six Nations, and if we're talking about winning the championship, and going to Wales and beating them, we're going to have to be a lot better in the Autumn.” The full-back also revealed some position-specific work-ons for Ireland’s back three.

“There's lots of small areas, I know Australia, from a back-three perspective dominated us in the air. Wales can be quite pragmatic, so they'll go to the air earlier, so that's a game our mini-unit is focusing on, and I'm sure all the little mini-units will be trying to improve and focus on, leading into the Wales game.”