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Celebrating the 'small wins' a sign of Ireland's unity, says Kearney

Joe Schmidt’s squad didn’t wait for tries to present a positive, exuberant front.

CJ Stander is congratulated by teammates after winning a turn over

PERHAPS IT WAS because there’s now a hurler in the squad, or maybe it has more to do with the exposure to so many Saracens during the Lions tour.

But there was a definite amplification to the way many Ireland players reacted to the plethora of little battles that went their way.

It’s not new for players to rush in and gather to slap the back of a team-mate who forced a scrum penalty or breakdown turnover. But after Maro Itoje and Kyle Sinckler took body language levels up a notch or two throughout the Lions tour, it seemed like Ireland were following suit with particularly animated reactions to turnovers from CJ Stander, Rory Best and for a Jacob Stockdale tackle in the second half.

Jacob Stockdale and Johnny Sexton celebrate Oisin Keniry / INPHO Oisin Keniry / INPHO / INPHO

“It wasn’t conscious,” said Rob Kearney at Carton House yesterday, though the positivity of the body language had caught his eye.

“I was actually thinking the same thing on Sunday evening – that we were celebrating a lot of those small wins.

“There is a real good energy and togetherness in the squad at the moment. Sometimes you come into November and you don’t have that, for one reason or another.

“I can’t put my finger on it this time, as to why there is a good energy. But, certainly, that was something that we demonstrated at the weekend.

It does make a difference. If you are on the other side of it and you see the opposition celebrating and having a real togetherness, it can get into your head sometimes.”

“You probably try to put your own label or your own stamp on it,” Kearney said, brushing off a comparison with the exuberant in-game celebrations that has become a trademark of Saracens.

“I think there’s a big difference between slapping your own players and congratulations them as opposed to slapping the opposition. There’s a fine line there, so we’d be more in the line of congratulating our own players as opposed to antagonising opposition.”

Cian Healy, Robbie Henshaw and Sean O’Brien congratulate Rory Best for winning a turn over Bryan Keane / INPHO Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO

One of those who merited heavy pats on the back was debutant Bundee Aki. After a week when the Connacht man’s selection for Ireland was decried in some quarters, Kearney’s words on the unity and togetherness in this Ireland squad hold a little extra weight.

“When you are going out to represent your country in big games, you need a massive level of togetherness. ‘Brotherhood’ is a word you hear a huge amount of times between players. When you go out to battle like that it is something that you do need.

“We would have recognised over the last few weeks that Bundee was taking a little bit of stick for nothing that he’s done. He has just wanted to come here and play for Ireland and it probably does bring you together a little bit more.

“Guys understand that maybe he needed a little bit more love over the last week or two than he had been used to.

“Certainly, as someone who I wouldn’t have known a huge amount about him until the summer camp and wouldn’t have particularly have enjoyed playing against him over the last few years. It is nice to come into camp and get to know the person and be very pleasantly surprised.”

“He has been really good. He has been quiet. He has been keeping his head down and doing his work.

“He sort of came to life at the weekend during the game. He was quite nervous in the build up to it.”

Rob Kearney and Bundee Aki Bryan Keane / INPHO Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO

Those nerves seemed to utterly dissipate in the opening moments of the game when Aki rushed in to assist Jonathan Sexton in a tackle that inadvertently ended the match and the November tour before either had really begun for Coenie Oosthuizen.

Nobody wishes injury on a player, but whatever resistance the Sprinboks were ready to put up against Ireland was massively weakened when they had to put Wilco Louw up for a 79-minute stint on just his second cap.

“It set a massive tone, and when you see the opposition tighthead going off after 70 seconds, it’s a nice feeling. It is. And then to go and win the scrum penalty straight away, it set down a real marker at the start of the game.”

Of course, it wasn’t the power of body language that prevented the ‘Boks from stepping anywhere close to meeting the markers Ireland laid down. It just didn’t help them.

Buy The42’s new book, Behind The Lines, here:

‘I couldn’t get my head around it: ‘Why are we having this debate now? What did Aki do differently?”

‘There’s a fair bit of faith put in me and a fair bit of pressure to repay the coach’ — Rob Kearney

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    Mute Hardly Normal
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    Nov 14th 2017, 7:44 AM

    Those small wins are hard fought victories, no problem celebrating and patting each other on the back, just get back to the job in hand immediately after!

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    Mute Tom Reilly
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    Nov 14th 2017, 10:59 AM

    I thought Rob Kearney brought great calming reassurance to the back three on Saturday. His superb sense of positioning was very evident while also guiding the young wingers throughout the match.He is still a great asset to the team.

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    Mute Range Rover
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    Nov 14th 2017, 6:53 AM

    It better not get all beach volleyball. Was getting that way at the weekend.

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    Mute Conor Paddington
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    Nov 14th 2017, 7:42 AM

    @Range Rover: it’s based on fairly sound sports psychology and is a growing trend among successful teams. Saracens being a leading example.

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    Mute Jamie Concannon
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    Nov 14th 2017, 9:37 AM

    @Range Rover: until Tadhg Furlong rolls up to training in a bikini, I won’t get worried about rugby turning into beach volleyball.

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    Mute Christiaan Theron
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    Nov 14th 2017, 10:52 AM

    @Range Rover: Range I am surprised. Women’s Beach volleyball excellent. Picture Rosnowlagh beach and, Amazon Goddesses in January.

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    Mute Range Rover
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    Nov 14th 2017, 10:04 PM

    @Jamie Concannon: hahaha. Made my month!!!

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    Mute Range Rover
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    Nov 14th 2017, 10:05 PM

    @Christiaan Theron: Rossnowlagh….Goddessess….hmmmmmm

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    Mute Christiaan Theron
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    Nov 14th 2017, 10:38 PM

    @Range Rover: in January so it’s JCB starter buttons season……

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    Mute Peter Brophy
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    Nov 14th 2017, 7:08 AM

    Something I’ve been wondering, why has RTÉ been slowly turning away from rugby the last few years? It’s almost at the point now where they are anti rugby. Even in the app now it’s soccer soccer soccer soccer….

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    Mute Stuart
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    Nov 14th 2017, 7:38 AM

    @Peter Brophy: the lost the 6 Nations. No point over-plugging a sport you’ll barely show within a few months.

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    Mute Peter Brophy
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    Nov 14th 2017, 7:42 AM

    @Stuart: they also gave up on the league a few years back.

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    Mute Hardly Normal
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    Nov 14th 2017, 7:46 AM

    @Peter Brophy: it’s the fall out from the sky-bt war. It’s a pity because sports coverage was the best thing Rte did.

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    Mute Conor Paddington
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    Nov 14th 2017, 7:46 AM

    @Peter Brophy: they were outbid for it, can’t compete with Sky Sports.

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    Mute Karlavaro
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    Nov 14th 2017, 8:00 AM

    @Peter Brophy: people have slowly been losing interest since it moved from a free-flowing skills-based spectacle to a beefed up slam fest.
    Something needs to be done to bring the attraction and wide play back

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    Mute Conor Paddington
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    Nov 14th 2017, 8:04 AM

    @Karlavaro: you obviously haven’t been following the sport over the last year and a half. Something has been done about it.

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    Mute Peter Brophy
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    Nov 14th 2017, 8:06 AM

    @Karlavaro: you’re clearly just a hater

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    Mute Limón Madrugada
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    Nov 14th 2017, 10:36 AM

    @Conor Paddington: god I miss the late 90s with those free flowing losses to all and sundry , those glorious missed tackles , the sheer joy of knock ons and push over scrums as team after team trampled all over us . Today it’s all so boring , winning , outplaying the opposition , making the crowd applaud . Bring back when we all cried ‘ f

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    Mute Conor Paddington
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    Nov 14th 2017, 11:09 AM

    @Limón Madrugada: haha, very good. So many fans are outraged that we’re very comfortably in the top 4 teams in the World right now. Bring back the 90s!

    11
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