Dan Kelly has found a home where he belongs in Munster

Munster's Craig Casey celebrates with Dan Kelly. Pic: ©INPHO/Tom Maher

From spending time as a guest of Jack Crowley’s family in County Cork to making his Dublin-born grandfather proud in a green jersey, Dan Kelly’s ties to Ireland were already established. Yet moving here this summer from Leicester Tigers to join Munster has cemented a feeling in the Rochdale-born and England-capped centre that this is where he truly belongs.

The 24-year-old who grew up playing amateur rugby league before a place in the Sale academy opened up as a teenager has settled into Irish life quickly, both off the pitch and on, where his performances at both inside and outside centre have caught the eye to the extent the former Under-20 international was on Thursday called up to the Ireland XV squad which will travel to Madrid in a couple of weeks to play Spain in Leganes.

Kelly is not hiding his ambition to pick up his Ireland career having played in the 2020 Under-20 Six Nations side that had secured a Triple Crown and was on track for a Grand Slam under Noel McNamara when the Covid lockdown cruelly intervened.

Perhaps the completion of that tournament would have been enough to secure Kelly’s services back then but what actually happened was the Loughborough University student joined the nearby Tigers, earning an England cap under Eddie Jones a year later and English Premiership title under Steve Borthwick in 2022.

Now eligible for Ireland again, the timing was right for Kelly to explore his Irish roots once more.

“I'd say it was a pretty easy (decision),” he said this week ahead of Saturday night’s URC derby at home to Connacht.

“Obviously when such a big club like Munster come and approach you it's not that hard a decision. I was struggling for game time last year, I wasn't playing as much, I think the previous year before I played the most minutes for Tigers, played 23-24 games so I'd be a player that would want to be playing a lot over a season.

“So there was that and then there's always been that link, especially whenever I've had the link or contract time it's always been over here and for Munster.

“I think if you go back to signing for Leicester when I was really young, what brought me to that club was it had a big fan base, it was a big club, big history and when you look at Munster it's the exact same thing. Hard-working people, our fans earn the money and turn up in their thousands and you can definitely get that feel when you're playing, so that's the (type of) club I like to play for, hard-working people.” 

So far so good, with four wins from four to start his Munster career, and a victory over Leinster at the first attempt at Croke Park last Saturday and a pleasurable settling-in period at the High Performance Centre and in Limerick.

“I've loved it, I've come over here with my girlfriend so it was a big change for her not just me, so it's been really different but great. The lads have been so welcoming, the coaching's been great, I've learnt a lot of new stuff already.

“Obviously being in the Ireland 20s I spent a lot of time over here as well, being over in Ireland with my family connection obviously, but nothing is the same as living here 24/7. The usual things you'd be used to are not always there but change is good. I've loved life in Ireland up to now, it's been good.

“I felt like I needed a bit of a change and Munster's been the best change for me, I've loved it here and I'm delighted with my decision up to now. I'm really enjoying my rugby and my time here.” 

Having so may familiar faces greet him on arrival has been a huge help, Kelly reconnecting with former Ireland U20 team-mates Tom Ahern, Diarmuid Kilgallen and Andrew Smith, not to mention Crowley, whose family opened their doors to him at their home in Innishannon during that Six Nations build-up and campaign.

“I think me and Jack had a very good relationship and there were a few other boys I was very close with who are here, like DK, Andrew Smith to name a few in the back line.

“But Jack and his family took me in, to be honest. I was at Loughborough University at the time trying to do my degree and obviously there wouldn't be enough time then to sometimes fly back and then be back for the Wednesday for example, so I'd go and stay with Jack and his family just outside of Cork.

“So they welcomed me into their family for a good few months and then obviously Covid hit after we won the Triple Crown, which is a shame.

“But we've always had a good relationship, me and Jack, and it was almost like we were back to the U20s days when we were in Musgrave Park on a weekend and he's got such a good flow about him and you just almost follow him and things start to come off.

“I love playing with Jack, he's a phenomenal player and I think it's one of the best 10 performances I've seen from someone on the weekend (against Leinster). It was a pleasure to play outside of.

“Whatever he did in his off-season I need to be following that. He's been brilliant, and I think when the stakes are high he doesn't shy away, and that's the players I love playing with, and I think there's plenty of them here in this province.

“I think that's the great thing. I think when the shit hits the fan there's lads there or in this building that'll back you up.”