THE QUESTION ALWAYS comes for young men in Hugo Keenan’s shoes.
Most often, the answer to a query about the preferred position of a young Leinster prospect is the hackneyed and over-humble, ‘I’ll play anywhere’.
Wings will say they’re willing to commit to anywhere from the centre to the front row, if only in jest. Natural opensides offer themselves on the blind and show-running out-halves insist they are content to wait their turn.
So we sit up and take notice when a different answer comes.
“Fullback, definitely,” says Keenan.
There is a quiet assurance about the 22-year-old. Perhaps it’s borne out of the six appearances he has earned during Leinster’s eight-game winning run in the Pro14 so far this season. Maybe it’s just the sporting genes.
Keenan needn’t search far from Leinster’s base for a high-performing relative. His older brother Rob plays in AIL Division 1A with UCD. His cousin Mark Dignam also represents the Students, as a footballer in the Airtricity League. Dignam’s father Keith played for Shelbourne and Shamrock Rovers.
Keenan also has solid footballing credentials, but put his promising stint with Mount Merrion Boys in the DDSL Premier Division on the back-burner when he set his focus on making Blackrock College’s Senior Cup team.
He hasn’t looked back.
“I was on the lower ranked (rugby teams) in school. I wasn’t getting near the first team so I was always concentrating on football.
“It was only in fifth year, 16, 17 that I started focusing on rugby. You want to make the SCT team in Blackrock so I stopped playing football in my final year and just focused on that. That’s how it kicked off and how I made Leinster 19s.
“Unfortunately I haven’t played football since.”
But the football is still in him. His engine from his time as a central midfielder, his well-timed leap from his move to play centre back.
Keenan has also reaped the benefits of his other crossover sport, a run with Ireland men’s sevens side.
“It was great for me, the Sevens. It gave me great exposure at international level at a time when in here (Leinster) I probably wouldn’t have gotten that many shots.
“It was about honing in on skills that I wanted to improve on. You get so many involvements on the ball; your passing, tackling, everything has to be on point with Sevens because you can’t get away with it. It was great for me.
“Those fundamental skills are the same. I know it is a bit different but the basics are there and you have to get them down to 100% to perform at that level. It’s good to bring into 15s here.”
Keenan will hope to deploy all the weapons in his arsenal in Thomond Park this evening (kick-off 6pm, eir Sport), when he fills the 15 shirt. He will come under close scrutiny from the Limerick crowd when Garryowens are sent his way by JJ Hanrahan and his former team-mate Nick McCarthy. Each error will feel like a gamechanger.
Keenan will experience the full heat of that pressure for the first time. The previous ground he counts as his most intimidating experience is Narbonne when he was an Ireland U20 international
“It will be a tough one. The lads have been telling me that playing down in Thomond is such a hard place to go, the crowd is always quite loud and hostile; I’m sure they’ll try and get into my head.
“I’ll just have to park that. It’s a game at the end of the day just like any other.”
Besides, he has waited for opportunities like this. Opportunities to show just how accomplished of a player he is in front of a packed house, on prime time TV.
And at fullback too, his preferred position by a long way.
“You get a bit more space. I’ve have always seen myself as a fullback but at U20 level there was Jack Power or, in school, Joey Carbery in school.
“So I was always pushed out to the wing. I was always happy to be involved, play and get on the starting team but yeah, definitely fullback.”
Munster
15. Mike Haley
14. Dan Goggin
13. Sammy Arnold
12. Rory Scannell
11. Shane Daly
10. JJ Hanrahan
9. Nick McCarthy
1. Dave Kilcoyne
2. Kevin O’Byrne
3. Stephen Archer
4. Fineen Wycherley
5. Billy Holland (capt)
6. Tommy O’Donnell
7. Chris Cloete
8. Jack O’Donoghue
Replacements:
16. Diarmuid Barron
17. Jeremy Loughman
18. Keynan Knox
19. Darren O’Shea
20. Jack O’Sullivan
21. Neil Cronin
22. Joey Carbery
23. Calvin Nash
Leinster
15. Hugo Keenan
14. Adam Byrne
13. Jimmy O’Brien
12. Conor O’Brien
11. James Lowe
10. Ross Byrne
9. Jamison Gibson-Park
1. Ed Byrne
2. James Tracy
3. Andrew Porter
4. Devin Toner
5. Scott Fardy (capt)
6. Josh Murphy
7. Will Connors
8. Caelan Doris
Replacements:
16. Seán Cronin
17. Peter Dooley
18. Jack Aungier
19. Ross Molony
20. Scott Penny
21. Rowan Osborne
22. Ciarán Frawley
23. Tommy O’Brien
I suppose a natural development since Kilkenny’s physicality in the air has evolved the game into more of a physical battle. Hope there’s still a place for a Joe Deane or eoin Kelly type player in the modern game, hurling would be much poorer otherwise
There are not enough hardy lads in Tipp for the kind of game Ryan wants to impose .
I’d like to think you still need to be able to hurl to succeed tho. It’ll be interesting to see how Clare do with their pace and skill based game. I think it would be good for hurling to see them in croke park again. Hopefully Tipp can get the balance of brain and brawn right tho
Just because lads are after getting big and strong it does not mean that we after loosing a type of player.I think lads like TJ,Richie Hogan,JJ Delaney,Joe Canning and Callanan are just as skillful and class as Deane and Kelly.Just look at the player of the year nominees this year…….all three are like Houdini when they have a sliotar in their hands.Its the way the game is being played is changing.I think Kilkenny just brought more intensity rather than physicality,as the game was much more physical just as far back as 20 years ago.And more again 40 and 50yrs ago
For too long now ,Tipp have thrown away Munsters and all-Irelands due to their non physicality….
As Tommy Docherty once said when describing a Ladies team ” their lovely to look at,, but they wont hurt you ”
Maybe its time to bring back Hells Kitchen !!
I’m still scratching my head trying to figure out why maher was centre forward last year. I think right half back is his best position , in midfield he goes in and out of games. He’s more solid than Barrett.
Just as long as he doesn’t throw the baby out with the bath water. EOS was on the cusp of cracking it but his team lacked a bit of edge, not helped by injuries to the like if Mahony, Cahill, Stapleton etc. who add a bit of bite to the team. I would nearly prefer lose than sacrifice EOS’s hurling philosophy in favour of that sweeper system/ Donegal tactic that other teams are employing. Also if Michael Quinlivan can hurl he would be well worth a try.
That’s the worry Johnny, but I hope with the likes of bubbles, Callanan and Noel McGrath you have the bones of a hurling front 6 as opposed to a blunt battering ram. Galway even uppe’d the physicality stakes this year as well. Where’s it all going to end.. in puke football territory maybe? I like you still want to retain our nice brand of hurling identity if possible
Tipp need to find a few more players. No Denis Maher? The question you need to ask as a fan is how many of this squad would start on a Kilkenny first 15? 4-5 at a push, this is the bench mark for Tipp unfortunately.