BACK IN THE GOAL ROUTINE
Kearney reveals his big targets as he finds peak fitness
DAVE KEARNEY believes he could yet play a part in Ireland’s Six Nations campaign and push his way back into the World Cup picture.
It has been 15 months since Kearney made his 17th and last appearance in green.
And that November 2017 win over Fiji (below) was his first Test cap in 21 months having suffered a serious shoulder injury followed by toe and ankle problems.
Last season proved a frustrating affair too as he only made nine starts for the province in their double-winning campaign.
But if the winger had become a bit of a forgotten man to some, Joe Schmidt has kept close tabs on the 29-year-old as the Blues stalwart rediscovers his form.
He was, remember, a regular Schmidt pick for Ireland duty and started in four games at the last World Cup.
“I had a chat with Joe before the Six Nations squad was announced, he was really happy with my progress over the last couple of months,” Kearney said.
“The big thing for him is that I need to be getting game time at that level consistently which I probably didn’t have before that.
“A goal of mine is, hopefully if things go well for me, to get back in to the Six Nations squad. And there’s a World Cup then in September which is definitely still a goal.”
He sees that more immediate aim, to play in this championship campaign with three games remaining, as a realistic one.
“Yes, I think so,” the two-time European Cup winner said. “It’s happened to me before where I’ve been called in late to camp or I’ve been on the receiving end of an injury and had to bow out.
“It always happens and it’s definitely still in the back of my head. It makes it a bit easier to get game-time with Leinster while the lads are gone so it’s a big three-week block for me again.
“And obviously then we’ve a big Champions Cup quarter-final coming down the line. There’s a lot more rugby to be played.”
The first time Kearney managed back-to-back starts this season was in the recent European ties against Toulouse and Wasps.
“It’s been a tough couple of years, there’s no other way to put it,” he said. “When you have setback after setback it gets tough mentally.
“You put more pressure on your performances because the chances aren’t coming that often. When they come, you have to take them.”