
Share
7th November 2017
10:36am GMT

Just over a year on from his strong showing against the All Blacks, Kearney is on trial again.
"My perception that I can still do it is very strong in my own head," he told us.
"Maybe amongst some elements of the media and some supporters, they may question it. But in my own head, I knew I was more than capable of doing it [against New Zealand]. It was just nice to be able to showcase it on the big stage." "[Getting written off] is frustrating but it's the culture that we're in," Kearney adds. "If you've got a player that's been around a long time, I think people can sometimes... not get little sick of it but they want to see the new faces and a bit of youth coming through. "When you hit the other side of 30, you're probably seen as a player on his way out, as opposed to coming up through the ranks. You get away with it in your early 20s as people are calling on you to get in. I was on the good side of it 10 years back so I suppose I'm on the other side of it now too."The worry for Irish fans - and this one is genuine - is Kearney coming into a huge game against South Africa cold. He will not have played since mid September but the positive here is the fact that he came through three intense training days with Ireland at Carton House, last week. We would have liked to see Tiernan O'Halloran involved but he seems to have left Schmidt unconvinced even after a decent summer tour. It would be risky for Schmidt to go in against the Boks with a back three of Earls, Stockdale and either Joey Carbery or Andrew Conway. Kearney is the safe bet but he goes into another crucial run of games having, in the minds of some, to prove himself all over again. The only mind that matters on Saturday evening is Kearneys and he is confident that he is Ireland's best 15. Let's hope he is right.
Explore more on these topics: