HUGO KEENAN SEEMS remarkably calm given the week that’s in it. Tomorrow the 24-year-old will line out at fullback for Ireland in a Six Nations game against Wales in Cardiff. It’s less than four months since he won his first cap.
Yet in a short period of time Keenan has amassed an impressive body of work. He already has six caps and three tries to his name. Some of those caps have come on the wing, some at fullback. In either position he’s looked confident, assured, and in control. He carried that impressive form over the Christmas period with Leinster and even if Jacob Stockdale had been fit this weekend, it was Keenan who looked the smart choice for the No 15 shirt.
Of course, while he’s relatively new to the Ireland scene Keenan has been around plenty of big match-weeks before. It’s over four years now since he made his senior Leinster debut, even if he did have to wait a further two for his first start. In recent months his club form has helped push Jordan Larmour back out to the wing. At the tail-end of last season he was keeping Rob Kearney on the Leinster bench. This is a player confident in his ability to mix it at this level.
“The nerves are good, they keep you on edge and you have to harness it well and use that to your advantage,” he says.
Keenan scored two tries on his Ireland debut against Italy last October. Bryan Keane / INPHO
Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO
“I’m a lot more comfortable with it (being in the Ireland camp). I know what to expect now that I’ve got a taste of it. I know the environment that we’re in in Carton. I know the lads much better, I know the coaches much better, so that’s definitely helped.
“I suppose getting a good run of it, that’s what you want as a player. You want continuous games and I’ve been lucky to have been injury-free for that (autumn) period and managed to keep my hand up and keep my name in there, so it’s just to keep on building and building.”
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Keenan contains all the qualities you’d want in a good fullback, a position which was in danger of becoming problematic following Kearney’s departure. He’s calm, fast, adept under the high ball, can spot a hole in a defensive line and is alert in his own work without the ball.
“I’m enjoying my time there at the moment. It’s probably my favourite position. You get a bit more action there. You get a good bit of involvement and a bit of a licence to get on the ball a bit more. You’re not waiting out on the wing for it sometimes. It’s good to have the two options, and keep them open for coaches and selection.”
His previous sporting life laid a good foundation for him. As well as playing multiple sports growing up, Keenan spent time in the Ireland Sevens set-up. That experience helped him become more confident to get the ball in his hands and try make something happen.
“It’s something I have had to work on,” he says of his attacking game.
“The Sevens is good for it. I played out-half with them and that really challenged me. I was an out-half in school up until fourth year and then I moved to the back-three, but that was never at a great level.
“The Sevens sort of gave me good exposure at that international level. I know it’s a bit different, but it certainly tests your skills.
“I know Stuart Lancaster with Leinster and Andy (Farrell) here, they want the 15 helping out as much as possible, taking a bit of weight off 10′s and 13′s shoulders – having a two-sided attack and keeping the options open.”
There are few better places to learn the trade of playing fullback than the free-flowing Leinster set-up encouraged by Leo Cullen and Stuart Lancaster.
“It’s similar styles and similar ways of playing (with Leinster and Ireland), but yeah, you do have your tweaks and the small different systems or things,” he continues.
“But it’s also about filling in wherever you are needed. It’s about 15s being comfortable in the centre or centres covering on the wing, things like that. You can find yourself anywhere, in any position, at any time in games, and you just have to be flexible. The more you can be (flexible), the better it will be for the team and for the backline.”
He’s enjoyed the last week in the Carton House bubble where the squad’s social committee, headed by Dave Kilcoyne, Will Connors and Craig Casey, brainstormed some socially distant games and activities to help pass the time. The Premier League provides another welcome distraction in the evenings, Thursday’s London derby an enjoyable 90 minutes for Chelsea fan Keenan, but not so much for Tottenham Hotspur supporter Garry Ringrose.
Tomorrow in Cardiff he forms parts of a relatively inexperienced Ireland back three. Of the 96 caps shared between Keenan, James Lowe and Keith Earls, 88 belong to the Munster player.
“I was there (at the Principality Stadium) in the World Cup when they hosted it (2015). I went to that France v New Zealand game and then the Ireland v Argentina game, so that’s my only memories,” Keenan adds.
“We know how hard it is over there. Like, it was 2013 the last time we won over there, so they’re a serious side, they’re always so passionate when you play them over there, it’s such a tough place to go.
“Our focus is just on this game and getting through it. I think if we put in a performance the result will look after itself, really.”
Bernard Jackman, Mike Sherry and Murray Kinsella chat about gender reveal parties, Paul O’Connell’s qualities, and the 2021 Six Nations :
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Keenan embracing the extra action at fullback ahead of first Cardiff experience
HUGO KEENAN SEEMS remarkably calm given the week that’s in it. Tomorrow the 24-year-old will line out at fullback for Ireland in a Six Nations game against Wales in Cardiff. It’s less than four months since he won his first cap.
Yet in a short period of time Keenan has amassed an impressive body of work. He already has six caps and three tries to his name. Some of those caps have come on the wing, some at fullback. In either position he’s looked confident, assured, and in control. He carried that impressive form over the Christmas period with Leinster and even if Jacob Stockdale had been fit this weekend, it was Keenan who looked the smart choice for the No 15 shirt.
Of course, while he’s relatively new to the Ireland scene Keenan has been around plenty of big match-weeks before. It’s over four years now since he made his senior Leinster debut, even if he did have to wait a further two for his first start. In recent months his club form has helped push Jordan Larmour back out to the wing. At the tail-end of last season he was keeping Rob Kearney on the Leinster bench. This is a player confident in his ability to mix it at this level.
“The nerves are good, they keep you on edge and you have to harness it well and use that to your advantage,” he says.
“I’m a lot more comfortable with it (being in the Ireland camp). I know what to expect now that I’ve got a taste of it. I know the environment that we’re in in Carton. I know the lads much better, I know the coaches much better, so that’s definitely helped.
“I suppose getting a good run of it, that’s what you want as a player. You want continuous games and I’ve been lucky to have been injury-free for that (autumn) period and managed to keep my hand up and keep my name in there, so it’s just to keep on building and building.”
Keenan contains all the qualities you’d want in a good fullback, a position which was in danger of becoming problematic following Kearney’s departure. He’s calm, fast, adept under the high ball, can spot a hole in a defensive line and is alert in his own work without the ball.
His previous sporting life laid a good foundation for him. As well as playing multiple sports growing up, Keenan spent time in the Ireland Sevens set-up. That experience helped him become more confident to get the ball in his hands and try make something happen.
“It’s something I have had to work on,” he says of his attacking game.
“The Sevens is good for it. I played out-half with them and that really challenged me. I was an out-half in school up until fourth year and then I moved to the back-three, but that was never at a great level.
“The Sevens sort of gave me good exposure at that international level. I know it’s a bit different, but it certainly tests your skills.
“I know Stuart Lancaster with Leinster and Andy (Farrell) here, they want the 15 helping out as much as possible, taking a bit of weight off 10′s and 13′s shoulders – having a two-sided attack and keeping the options open.”
There are few better places to learn the trade of playing fullback than the free-flowing Leinster set-up encouraged by Leo Cullen and Stuart Lancaster.
“It’s similar styles and similar ways of playing (with Leinster and Ireland), but yeah, you do have your tweaks and the small different systems or things,” he continues.
He’s enjoyed the last week in the Carton House bubble where the squad’s social committee, headed by Dave Kilcoyne, Will Connors and Craig Casey, brainstormed some socially distant games and activities to help pass the time. The Premier League provides another welcome distraction in the evenings, Thursday’s London derby an enjoyable 90 minutes for Chelsea fan Keenan, but not so much for Tottenham Hotspur supporter Garry Ringrose.
Tomorrow in Cardiff he forms parts of a relatively inexperienced Ireland back three. Of the 96 caps shared between Keenan, James Lowe and Keith Earls, 88 belong to the Munster player.
“I was there (at the Principality Stadium) in the World Cup when they hosted it (2015). I went to that France v New Zealand game and then the Ireland v Argentina game, so that’s my only memories,” Keenan adds.
“We know how hard it is over there. Like, it was 2013 the last time we won over there, so they’re a serious side, they’re always so passionate when you play them over there, it’s such a tough place to go.
“Our focus is just on this game and getting through it. I think if we put in a performance the result will look after itself, really.”
Bernard Jackman, Mike Sherry and Murray Kinsella chat about gender reveal parties, Paul O’Connell’s qualities, and the 2021 Six Nations :
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fitting in Hugo Keenan Ireland Six Nations 2021