For pretty much all of the last nine seasons, it’s been a fait accompli. From the last years of Eddie O’Sullivan’s reign, through Declan Kidney’s and then Joe Schmidt’s time at the helm, literally the first name announced on every Irish team sheet, when fit, has been Rob Kearney.
In the eight seasons up until 2015-16, Kearney won 61 of his 69 caps. But he was bedevilled by nagging hamstring strains last season, and so cursed did the number 15 jersey become that ultimately five players wore it over the course of Ireland’s 17-Test season.
The now-retired Felix Jones played the first of the World Cup warm-up matches against Wales, and Kearney would play in the ensuing warm-up defeat at home to Wales as well as the Canada, France and Argentina games in the World Cup and the Six Nations games away to France and England.
Yet such were Kearney's repeated injuries that Simon Zebo actually wore number 15 more than any other Irish player last season, namely the other two warm-up games, the World Cup wins over Romania and Italy, as well as the draw with Wales and wins over Italy and Scotland in the Six Nations.
When both were ruled out of the South African tour, Jared Payne was switched from outside centre to fullback for the first two Tests, before he too was sidelined with a calf injury, resulting in Tiernan O'Halloran making his debut in the third Test. Even then he was forced from the pitch by half-time, meaning that Keith Earls became Ireland's sixth fullback in what was a long season.
All bar Jones are now, touch wood, fit and will be able to state their case over the coming month for that daunting first Test of the season against the mighty All Blacks in Chicago on November 5th.
Realistically, Earls remains strictly an emergency option to cover the position in which he made his Test debut, while O’Halloran has some way to go to retain the jersey given the substantial body of work the other three have for Ireland.
Seven outings
Zebo, who returns for Munster today from the fractured rib sustained in the opening win away to the Scarlets, performed highly creditably in his seven outings at fullback for Ireland last season. His ability to hit the line and bring others into the game was highlighted by that stunning, right-handed offload in the build up to Jamie Heaslip’s try against Italy.
Yet one suspects Kearney's biggest rival is perhaps Payne. In that remarkable 14-man win in the first Test in Cape Town, Payne made the call for Luke Marshall's grubber prior to finishing the first try adroitly. He also was credited with five offloads, including the one-handed, under-arm pass out of the tackle to Andrew Trimble in the build-up to Conor Murray's match-winning try.
Schmidt had previously seemed initially reluctant to switch Payne from outside centre, where he has been the defensive and offensive glue in the Irish backline. With Luke Marshall currently sidelined again with concussion, the most viable alternative at 13 would be Robbie Henshaw, who hasn't played since the second Test in South Africa, although anticipates returning in two or three weeks.
That Payne also made his seasonal return at fullback, where he played much of last season’s run-in, for Ulster in their win away to Glasgow last week also looked significant.
Within seven minutes he glided through to the try-line for what seemed a typically well-taken try which was overruled for an earlier tip tackle by Iain Henderson. And generally he oozed class.
“It’s been a long old drawn out pre-season, so it was good to get out there and be part of a winning team again. That 3G pitch is a bit different on the old bones but it was good playing on top of that ground. The lungs were puffing but the way the team played made it pretty easy for me to get back in there.”
Fatherhood
Payne admits he’s had other things on his mind rather than the looming prospect of the November Test window and two potential meetings with the All Blacks. “I’ve just had a wee baby boy there recently and just getting up and getting to training is a big achievement. So I haven’t managed to look that far ahead yet. I just worry about getting up each morning and making it here on time.”
His fiancée, Christina Beattie, gave birth to baby Jake 10 weeks ago. Sleepless nights? "Yep, there's been a few of those."
For his part, Kearney, who missed Ireland’s summer tour, looked refreshed and fitter in Leinster’s opening games against Treviso and Glasgow, before suffering a knee injury on the latter’s 3G pitch; but is expected to return next week against Munster. “I haven’t played 80 minutes back to back since the World Cup. So you can imagine what that brings with it. I was delighted to see the end of last season, get a bit of a break, get down to Santry sports clinic and get three weeks’ intensive rehab – that was brilliant. I got to wipe the hard drive clean, went back to basics.
“Then I was in a really good place at the start of the season, I was quick and strong, I felt young and athletic again. So the injury against Glasgow, I was lucky, it could have been a bit worse, it was a freak accident – an impact knee injury off the ground. That astro pitch? I’m not sure. It might take a few more victims in its time. It took another four at the weekend. It was just impact . . . my knee hit the ground. I’d take it over a hamstring injury any day.”
Kearney speaks from experience.
“Last year broke my heart,” he admits. “In three or four internationals you’re named in the team on the Tuesday and then you go out and strain your hamstring. It’s tough to take, and you’re not getting any form or consistency. You’re not stringing games together. People are on your back. You’re not playing as well as you can be. It’s tough. It is. So that’s why you welcome the start of a season; new mind, new body for a few weeks ahead anyway.”
Running freely
Whereas last season Kearney admits he was mindful of his hamstring and thus holding himself back, this season he is running freely again. “The GPS data helps a lot too. In the Glasgow game I think I hit a top speed I maybe hadn’t hit in 18 months or so. So that gives you a huge amount of confidence too, that you know you still have your max speed without it taking a huge amount out of you.”
Yet, he knows his injuries have left the door ajar, and admits: “To watch Simon go really well in those last two games of the Six Nations and then to see Jared do really well over the first couple of Tests [in South Africa] is difficult to watch. But it does give you a huge amount of motivation.”
To that can be added his memories of the last time Kearney faced New Zealand, when his breakaway try gave Ireland a 19-0 lead, which the All Blacks ultimately overturned in over time. He wants that jersey as much as ever.
Payne’s skills’ set flourish at 15, but he’s also a proven linchpin at 13, and midfield options look thin. Furthermore, Kearney’s dependability at fullback, solidity in the air to counter the All Blacks’ kicking game and his kicking game, plus his display when the sides last met, will count for plenty too.
