'It was good because you got to know everyone, but it wasn't really touring'
RONAN KELLEHER SAYS his forthcoming trip to Australia with the British & Irish Lions will have a fresh feel to it.
Despite only making his Ireland senior debut in February of the previous year, Kelleher joined the Lions for a pre-season training camp that took place in Jersey ahead of their Tour of South Africa in 2021.
This was to provide cover for hookers Jamie George and Luke Cowan-Dickie (who had club commitments to contend with) and while the Dubliner wasn't on the touring squad at that time, he was officially added to the Lions set-up on 14 July of that year.
Yet that Tour (on which Kelleher didn't see any game time) was played in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic and a number of restrictions were imposed as a result – including the absence of spectators for their three Test matches against the Springboks.
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Although he still made the most of his time in the squad, Kelleher is looking forward to sampling the full Lions experience in Australia.
'There was no fans, so it was a very different tour. That kind of had its pros and cons. A pro was probably that you got to know everyone pretty well, because you kind of had to. You were obviously in each other's space 24/7. I was out there for, whatever it was, four weeks plus the Jersey training camp,' Kelleher said at a Leinster media briefing on Monday.
'In that regard it was good because you got to know everyone, but it wasn't really touring. I think it's going to be an unbelievable experience. People who have talked to us, who have been on previous Lions tours, have said it has been brilliant. Some of the highlights of their lives. Please God, all going well, it will be a good tour.'
After playing some part in the past three deciders, Kelleher found himself in the unfamiliar position of being idle when Bordeaux Begles and Northampton Saints faced off in the latest European Champions Cup final last Saturday.
Despite the disappointment of that last-four defeat at the hands of Northampton, there was one man Kelleher was pleased for on the weekend just gone.
Bordeaux's attack specialist Noel McNamara was head coach of the Ireland U20s when Kelleher featured for them in 2018 and the former St Michael's College student was effusive in his praise of the Clare native.
'A legend. He has obviously done a great job, he's a great fella. I'm happy for him. As disappointed as I am it wasn't us, you're glad when it is one of your own gets a chance. I'm absolutely delighted for Noel and he has obviously done a fantastic job, even going off to the Sharks before that. He obviously did a great job with them as well. He's brilliant.'
Whereas McNamara and Bordeaux will be hoping to follow up their Champions Cup triumph by getting their hands on the Top 14 trophy in France, Kelleher and Leinster are aiming to achieve their own success in the United Rugby Championship in the coming weeks.
The first obstacle the eastern province have to overcome in their bid for URC glory is a quarter-final tie against Scarlets at the Aviva Stadium tomorrow afternoon (kick-off 3pm). Kelleher was in the starting line-up when Leinster lost to the Welsh region in a regular season game at Parc y Scarlets on 26 April and even though the Blues weren't at full strength on that occasion, Kelleher is expecting a similar challenge from the Llanelli-based outfit in their latest duel.
'Obviously off the back of it they got into the play-offs and I thought they were really good on the day. I thought we obviously were poor in parts as well, but we obviously know how much of a threat that they can cause. Having played in it, you obviously get it first hand,' Kelleher added.
'We took a lot of learnings from that game. What we did wrong, what we need to get right the next day. I think that is going to be a massive challenge this weekend, but it had also been a massive focus for us last week. Because obviously we had the down week not playing in that game [Champions Cup final] and this week now going ahead.'
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