Uncertain days in Leinster with their interest in European rugby on the brink and the Six Nations Championship looming, there's just a couple more weeks for players to show Joe Schmidt why it has to be them.
Dave Kearney is one Irish winger with justifiable expectations. He played every minute in all five of Ireland's Six Nations matches last year along with his brother Rob and Jamie Heaslip.
But in less than 10 months the landscape has changed for wingers. Keith Earls is back and Simon Zebo hasn't gone in Munster. Luke Fitzgerald has shaken off a career threatening complexion of injuries in Leinster. Fergus McFadden can play there too.
Craig Gilroy was on the Ulster left last week, Tommy Bowe on the right and Andrew Trimble is recovering from a toe injury. It's not so long ago Trimble was player of the year.
Injury worries
That’s how things break. Kearney has had his own injury worries and is back with attitude. But these days you don’t have to do anything wrong to feel the heat.
“Over the last four or five weeks, I’ve missed a few training sessions, training one day and not the other, I suppose just managing coming back from injury,” he says.
“It’s very funny, when you leave the Ireland set-up you probably expect provincial set- ups to have less competition but it’s probably different with Leinster for back three players because there’s so many quality guys who can play in the back three, a lot of international players too.”
Kearney also knows skillset mobility is a benefit in the professional game, especially this weekend with Castres arriving and although they are broken and despairingly close to the bottom of the Top 14 French League, for Leinster and Kearney they provide opportunity.
Appetite
Kirchner’s current injury puts him in sick bay and makes space but Kearney knows he must be resourceful and catholic in his appetite to play anywhere. His brother has closed the gate at fullback. With Fitzgerald in the centre now, either wing will do.
“An extremely talented player and great to see him back and playing so well, especially at 13,” he says of Fitzgerald. “Obviously that wing area is pretty congested even if Luke is at 13.
“He seems to enjoy playing there and he’s doing a good job of that so that’s not necessarily a bad thing for the other three players. It has been an extremely frustrating time over the last year for Luke. Especially when he thought he was probably going to have to finish up.”
Kearney played fullback growing up in Clongowes, ran out a few times on the left wing for Leinster and also on the right wing for Ireland. He’s mixed it up and not about to paint himself into a corner now.
“First game back put in a half an hour at fullback as well, so I think I can play any position in the back three. I’m not looking to play 10,” he says wondering aloud why he’s being asked all this stuff. “You can’t be restricted to one position,” he adds.
Castres should provide a certain type of test, although in most people’s eyes it will be how Leinster manage their own game, how they go about chasing what they need from the beginning, their intent and execution as well as ambition. And win.
“They’re obviously pretty big lads especially upfront so they’re going to be very physical,” he says, repeating a rugby truism of our time. They like to throw the ball around and they like to kick as well. I guess it will be important for our back three to be strong in the air with catching and kicking.
"We're always pretty solid under the high ball. Max Evans on the wing, he's got very good feet. He's dangerous when he's got a bit of space. In the halfbacks Kockett and Tales would like to throw the ball around."
