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Leinster were said to be fuming when Connacht swooped in for Cian Kelleher. By now everyone knows why.
Kelleher scored tries number two and three of his first season out West and was warmly embraced at the final whistle by players that are seeing him put into devastating practice what they have been raving about on the training pitch.
124 metres off 15 carries that included five clean breaks, four defenders beaten and an offload tossed in for good measure. A couple of tries too, while he was at it.
The former St Michael’s College and Lansdowne winger got his chance at Leinster but not enough for his liking.
Given Leinster’s latest injuries to wide men, Kelleher could have been starting for his home province against Munster at the Aviva Stadium this weekend. Keep an eye out for Kelleher to Leinster storylines peppering 2017/18.
The 22-year-old is a serious talent. Anyone that caught him doing damage in that bruising Michael’s team would have circled the name as one to watch.
Connacht have more than a couple of Dubliners in their midst and word rapidly made its way to Pat Lam that ‘CK’ was worth a look. Lam reached out.
Following Connacht’s 30-25 win over league-leading Ulster, during which Kelleher scored his brace, Lam told us:
“He’s a great kid. When I met him and his dad – when we had a meeting before he came – I showed him what we do, how we try to play and our structures. I could see his face. He was like a kid in a candy store.
“I said, ‘It’s not just about coming to Connacht. It’s about understanding the way we play’.
“I’ll give you an example of that. When we played Edinburgh last week, at the very start, all 15 of our players in that three-minute period carried the ball. He knows he is going to get a chance to show his stuff. Everyone gets that chance… everyone has to do their bit.
“He got really excited by [that ideal] and he has fitted in really well. The thing that I’m really pleased about is that the boys have taken to him well. He can see that it’s not just a system he is part of; he is part of our culture.”
When Lam gives the big sell, it is hard not to get sucked in. He has teed up his players to go out there and back themselves to make a difference.
Leinster may come looking for one of their own in the coming years but Kelleher has found a place where he is wanted and he where wants to be.
He’ll take some shifting.
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