British and Irish lions Memories: Rob Kearney by giving up Gaelic football and playing the day Lions’ future was in doubt about | Rugby Union News

Rob Kearney retired from Rugby in 2021 as one of the most decorated players in Irish history and left the sport after four six nations titles, four Champions Cup triumphs and two trips as a British and Irish lion in 2009 and 2013.

For many, he is best remembered for his sensational performances in Lions colors against South Africa during the 2009 series-a tour when he really advertised on a world scene, demonstrating an almost unspoken ability under a high ball from back.

Kearney’s majestic air force originated from County Louth on the east coast of Ireland and did not stammer in any small part of the fact that Rugby is far from his hometown’s first love and the sport he played most growing up. It is rather Gaelic football.

“I was from a relatively sporty family but I’m from County Louth, who didn’t have much rugby. It was a real Gaelic football county,” Kearney tells Sky Sports.

“I was lucky that the two seasons did not collide or collided too much, and I could play lots of Gaelic football during the summer and rugby in the winter.

“Rugby was a really great love, and although I always missed Gaelic football a huge amount, I’m happy with the route I chose.”

Bizarrely is a seventh cousin of former US President Joe Biden, Kearney looking back on Lions Tour 2009 and reveals the third test against springbox to avoid a series of money laundering after two extremely tight opening results assumed far more than a game of rugby.

It was a day when the very future of the existence of the tournament page was in doubt and the players felt.

“There was a terrible amount of pressure on the troop because it suddenly wasn’t about the class in 2009,” says Kearney.

“We felt we had a real responsibility for the future of the Lions jersey and what it means to people. There was a huge amount of chat about it during the week.

“Ian McGEechan [2009 head coach]Obviously a Lions legend for so many years was not shy to highlight it and put a real responsibility on us to perform and win.

“There were real questions about the future of the Lion, and it was extra difficult for us as players because there was much more than just 80 minutes of rugby on the line.

“The Lion’s Heritage and History, what they stand for, what we wanted future generations to think about the lions was all on the line that day.”

Such a narrative had been feted and then exploded to consciousness due to a race with Lions Series defeat, which was guaranteed to be expanded when Morne Steyn landed a 54-meter punishment in the height of Pretoria with the last kick in the second test for a 28-25 South Africa victory.

The 2005 Tour to the New Zealand and the 3-0 series defeat under Clive Woodward had proved to be a disaster, while the 2001 tour of Australia under Graham Henry had seen Lions throw the chance of victory in a possible 2-1 series loss.

The defeat in 2009 meant that Lions would be without a series victory since 1997 for 16 years at least until 2013 – a tour in Australia they would continue to win 2-1.

For masses, consecutive 3-0 series of money laundering would have been tasteless and potentially worthy of ending the four-nation-as-a-tournament tradition.

“Fortunately, we put in a really good performance and won resounding well,” says Kearney as Lions played angrily to secure a 28-9 win.

‘I was in Fantasy Land: From expecting to miss out on testing Lion Tryscorer’

Earlier in 2009, Kearney was part of a Six Nations Grand Slam – the first for Ireland since 1948 – but remembers vividly seeing the Lions Squad message alone, unusually suffering from a case of mumps.

“I remember exactly where I was when I was pretty sick at the time,” he says. “I hadn’t played for Leinster in a few months and was home alone.

“I was incredibly happy, but I had mumps, which was pretty serious and I wasn’t sure if I would be able to go on a tour. From where I was the day to how the trip ended for me was very surprising.”

It is easy to forget that such would be Kearney’s possible influence, but Wales’ Lee Byrne had established himself as the first -choice lions with backback, where the former had struggled with a niggly injury.

Byrne suffered a foot injury 37 minutes into the opening test in Durban, and then a severe thumb fracture in training to exclude him completely thereafter.

Kearney distinguished himself from the bench and started in another test where he slipped over for an attempt at just the seventh minute.

“I wasn’t disappointed when I knew Lee Byrne was always in the driving seat to start the first test. I picked up a dead leg against Western Province who left me for a few weeks, so to be honest I was absolutely happy to be in the team.

“I did not expect to be because, as an out-and-out full back, it is unusual to pick up one of these bench positions.

“The second test was phenomenal and really a dream that came true. I thought I was living in a fantasy country because eight days before I didn’t even expect to get into the squad. And here I started and scored the opening test.

“The whole game was also a bit of a fantasy because there are days in your career where you are just perfect and fully in your power. That everything you do look like to work. I was very lucky that I had one of these days on the biggest scene for Lions.”

For everyone that his performances were spectacularly good in South Africa that summer, the two opening tests had nevertheless brought two lions defeat.

For the then 23-year-old, it proved massively contradictory.

“It really was. I did a Sky Sports Interview with Miles Harrison afterwards and he talked all about my performance, but the only thing I could think was that we had lost the series and let it slip.

“I’ve been in some disappointed dressing rooms over the years, but I always want to remember the one that was really completely blurred.

“It just shows you that sports are the tightest and finest margins, and that’s why we love the game so much. It was really unfortunate because a decision would have been very special.

“If I look at the lowest periods in my career, the second test in 2009 is up there.”

‘Injury before the 2013 tour was so stressful – it didn’t have the same feeling of achievement’

Four years later, Kearney was out of the back of a 2012 where he was appointed European player of the year, but a hamstring injury just before his last club match of the season suddenly left his Lions Tour chances in 2013 in real doubt.

After traveling to the Hong Kong with the Lions troop, Kearney remained and waited in a hospital room after a scan that would determine if he could continue to Australia or not – for a moment of huge anxiety.

“It was very stressful. Leinster had a challenge final the day before we traveled, and my hamstring just didn’t feel in the warm -up, so I had to pull out.

“We traveled to Hong Kong to play the barbarians there and I was so worried. If the scan did not come back well, I would have been sent back to Dublin.

“Fortunately, the medical staff was happy that it would not be too long -term and I got back on the field two weeks later.

“At that time Leigh Halfpenny played really well, his goal kick was phenomenal, and he put himself in that front runner position to demand the 15 jersey.”

In fact, the sharp reality for Elite Sport means experiencing the same success, and the circumstances at the top are a rare occurrence.

Kearney had to wait until the fifth tour match to play in 2013 because of his hamstring, of which there were only two inventory to go before the first test.

In the end, Halfpenny played so well that he was named a player in the series in Australia, while Kearney missed all three tests – something did even more test, he says, because of his memories of 2009.

“It was difficult because I got to experience the incredible heights of playing in the tests in 2009. When you get a taste and a sense of it, that’s the only thing you want to do again.

“I was disappointed because Tommy Bowe had an injury and there was chat internally and externally half -penny possibly moved to one of the wings and I would come in at 15. There was a little bit of hope.

“Leigh had done incredibly well, so I knew the writing was on the wall. From then on, the only way I had to get in was an injury to him.

“I didn’t play in any of the test matches and because I did it in 2009, 2013 didn’t have the same feeling of performance for me.

“Although there is tremendous commitment to all players, and the whole team is part of a series victory, it’s not the same if you’re not in the test team.”

‘Not getting 100 Irelands caps my biggest low – I would desperately have it’

Kearney, a source of unique consistency for Ireland under Joe Schmidt, sits just outside the top 10 for most caps in Irish history.

In 2018, he became the first player from his nation to start in all 10 tests of two Grand Slam campaigns – a record he still has alone.

Looking back, however, it is Caps the 38-year-old somewhat surprising names as the biggest regret in his career.

“My biggest low point wouldn’t get 100 caps for my country. It was always something I really desperately wanted. It’s an elite club.

“I ended up with 95 Irish caps – 98 if you include three lions – but I missed 30 games with damage and 15 or so were a bit of a soft calf or hamstring damage that could easily have gone my way.

“I always say it’s just a number, but it was a number that I desperately wanted to get to.”

In terms of highlights, Kearney’s mind turns to the lions.

“To become a lion ranks at the top.

“Playing for your country in a World Cup is incredible and something that every child who is in sports dreams of. But the lions are so special that it is even a little taller than that.

“There’s a huge amount of prestige and history attached to that comb. It’s definitely the most special thing I’ve achieved from a rugby perspective.”

“Without fans there would be no competition, and new research from Letshost shows local businesses with local domain names key when fans are investigating where they are going and how to get there” – Kearney