Rónan Kelleher in action against France in the match he classes as the highlight of Ireland's Six Nations campaign. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inphogames and left an imprint each time on both sides of the ball, be it with his direct carrying or big tackles, as well as his energy around the pitch. As replacements go, the 26-year-old hooker had a very impactful campaign, in every sense.
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.Jordan Conroy: ‘We’ve kind of prided ourselves on being a podium team’“It’s a great place to be, I suppose,” Kelleher says of this state of affairs. “I can’t complain really.
“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.
“Increased competition or heightened competition really pushes everyone on,” is how Kelleher describes it. “You just know that there’s no really easy games, it’s all just flat out. It will be just as intense as a European game or an international game when you come up against those big South African teams. They’ve a stack of internationals as well. It’s a different challenge than the past, but it’s a really exciting one.