Alex Kendellen: 'It’s massive for us as players to look at that and see what they’ve done'

Alex Kendellen said he had sought out his provincial team-mates for an inside track on the Emerging Ireland set-up before going into camp.

SENIOR TEST HONOURS: The pathway has been laid down by players like Jack Crowley who progressed from the Emerging Ireland squad to senior level which Alex Kendellen hopes to replicate. Picture: Seb Daly/Sportsfile

Alex Kendellen believes the example shown by Jack Crowley, Calvin Nash and Joe McCarthy in graduating from an Emerging Ireland tour to full senior Test honours will help unite the squad he leads in South Africa this week.

Simon Easterby’s Emerging Ireland tourists kick off their quickfire three-match stand in Bloemfontein against the Pumas at Toyota Stadium on Wednesday afternoon with Munster back-rower Kendellen set to captain the side, two years after missing out on the initial visit to South Africa due to a concussion.