Rob Kearney does his media duty on Soldier Field. The place is ablaze with green flames as he speaks to a curious American audience.
“It’s not just about this team. It’s about the 28 teams that have gone before us. After the Cubs during the week, there must have been something in the air in Chicago.”
Job done. Lovely soundbite.
An hour or so later, he’s last to leave the locker room. Eating pizza.
Really, Kearney doesn't have to face people who have literally written him off, who called for Jared Payne at fullback so space could be made for Garry Ringrose, but he puts the pepperoni slice down to talk with rare honesty.
It was being whispered, by friend and foe, that at 30 and with 69 caps, after nine years as a Test-match fullback, Kearney was past his sell-by-date.
Everyone who said that was wrong. We saw the proof with some thrilling contributions that show he’s as good as he has ever been.
Rob, congratulations, that was a performance nobody has seen from you in a few years. You showed up a lot of doubters? (He smiles, instantly getting the irony of the situation).
“Yeah, ish, like. I still made a few mistakes out there. It’s been a tough enough 18 months. Just, first and foremost, body has not been where it has been.
“On the back of that, you’re not playing to your potential and people get on your case, then you get on your own case. Inside my head has been a dark enough place in the last few months.
“I wasn’t sure if I was going to be selected this week, and I’m just glad I was able to repay Joe and my fellow players the trust that has been shown. But there’s still lots of stuff to work on. It wasn’t a perfect performance by any means.”
There were two missed tackles as Waisake Naholo and Scott Barrett galloped clear for New Zealand tries, but rips in the Irish fabric left him isolated against phenomenal athletes.
At fullback, you get exposed like a goalkeeper. The wonder is how he rebuilt his confidence.
Leaping
“You don’t. It’s been tough. I tell you how I got my confidence back – it was one high ball [leaping over Ben Smith] and one line-break [laying the platform for CJ Stander’s try].
“I’ve been waiting for a spark, something like that, for so long and this week I just said, ‘Don’t wait, just go try and make something happen, shackle-free.’
“I’ve been in those moments before and things haven’t gone my way so I won’t get carried away by any means, but it’s nice to be back on the horse.”
He smiles. Perhaps knowing a night of pizza and joy is imminent.
Schmidt kept the faith when others called on logic and form to be obeyed.
“He did, a huge amount of faith. Suppose I was glad to be able to repay it a little bit. I’m sure he’ll have lots of things for me throughout the week – a few missed tackles and some coverage in the backfield, might have got caught out once or twice. But he did show a lot of faith.”
Schmidt knows Kearney better than most. There was a serious conversation moments before he took the field.
“He pulled me aside before the game and he said, ‘You need a big one today.’
“It wasn’t ideal,” he laughs, “but it was good.”
That would unsettle another man. Maybe he just knows you? “Yeah, maybe. We’ve been together a long time now from when he first came to Leinster, so maybe that was the one-liner that I need to put the fear of God into me.”
When the Barrett brothers combined to make it 33-29, with 15 minutes to play, a surge of fear went through the November 2013 survivors.
Forever the brave losers.
“We came back under the sticks and we were right back in the Aviva in 2013 when we were under our sticks after losing the game.
“You learn from those experiences and I think we played and went to the edge once, and Zeebs kicked that ball down the line, that was a huge play, whereas maybe back in 2013 we would have just kicked off first phase and let them come back at us.”
Think about this: Brian O'Driscoll and Paul O'Connell were in the crowd, while Seán O'Brien and Peter O'Mahony were playing provincial rugby this weekend. The starting outhalf against South Africa last June was unavailable. Iain Henderson is injured.
“Yeah, but it’s less about the individual and more about the collective now.”
That is the mentally draining Joe Schmidt methodology. Systems. Specific duties. Players love it because they see themselves improving.
“The preparation time that we’ve had has been minimal but I haven’t felt as prepared for a game in a long, long time.
Black cloud
“Everyone just fronted up and did what was expected.”
A black cloud will cover Lansdowne road Saturday week. But O’Brien, O’Mahony and possibly Henderson will return to strengthen the Irish pack. Just as Brodie Retallick returns to blot out the sun.
“They’ll be back, they’ll be wounded, they’re a class side. Their lineout was not functioning really today and they had a fair few handling errors. We’re under no illusions what’s coming back.”
