Kelleher relishes challenge of Leinster’s ‘unfinished business’

• Published date: 28 March 2024
• Publication title: Irish Times (Dublin, Ireland)

So whatever frustrations there may have been about not starting, Kelleher reflects positively on the 2024 Six Nations, both with regard to what Ireland achieved and his contribution

He is reluctant to pick a favourite among Ireland’s five games but, after thinking about it, says: “I suppose maybe the France game over in Marseilles, that was a big win. It was the first time I’d beaten them over there. That was class. Probably that game really. It was a big win for that group.”

While that is telling, and most Irish supporters would agree that Ireland’s high point was their opening night performance, it still seems incredible that retaining the title was something of an anticlimax.

“It’s a great place to be, I suppose,” Kelleher says of this state of affairs. “I can’t complain really. Obviously, there was a little bit of disappointment after the England game, but for us we still managed to get it done with the back-to-back championships. It shows the health of Irish rugby that there was an air of disappointment that it wasn’t back-to-back Grand Slams, but that’s only a positive thing. We’re obviously in a very good place.” Mentally taxing

Playing in all five of Ireland’s Six Nations games as a replacement was just as taxing mentally, if not physically, as starting all of them.

“It’s still quite full on,” he says. “It is completely different though. You know you can be called upon at any time. When you’re warming up, you’re constantly trying to get a second wind.

“Then you’re trying to keep invested in the game as well, trying to figure out: ‘What have we ran already? What have we done?’ It is a different challenge than when you’re starting and it was tough getting that second wind in a game, but it was good. I don’t really know how to describe it,” he concludes, lightheartedly.

At face value, it looks a tall order for Leinster, as the Irish squad’s bulk suppliers, to reset their sights on the URC with just a week’s break after retaining the Six Nations. This seems especially true given the demands of the World Cup, when Kelleher also played all five of Ireland’s games, including against Tonga and South Africa.

“It’s very easy, to be honest,” counters Kelleher. “A lot of us haven’t won in Europe and it has been obviously a few years now since we won the URC. We know there is a lot of unfinished business here, so everyone is chomping at the bit to get back in.

“Everyone is really excited and bouncing back into training. It’s good to get everyone back...