DEEP IN THE bowels of the Aviva Stadium on Saturday evening, the topic of conversation briefly veered from Joe Schmidt’s dissection of Ireland’s record victory over South Africa.
The Ireland head coach wouldn’t have been privy to events in Sicily earlier in the day when his former player, Ian McKinley, completed the most remarkable journey to make his international debut for Italy.
“Fantastic,” Schmidt, who coached the out-half at Leinster and was in charge when the Dubliner had his career so cruelly cut short, said when told McKinley had come off the bench for the Azzurri.
“What a great kid. A natural left-footer, a fantastic defender; courageous, but technically smart as well. Can control the game really well.”
McKinley was introduced as second half replacement by Conor O’Shea as Italy got their November schedule off to a winning start with a 19-10 win over Fiji, who come to the Aviva Stadium next week.
The former St Columba’s College student, who was left blinded in his left eye by a team-mate’s stud in a training ground accident six years ago, came on after 62 minutes and closed the game out with three points from the tee.
McKinley, who represented Ireland at U20 level, was forced to retire in 2011 at the age of just 21 but later came out of retirement and returned to professional rugby with Italian club Viadana.
At the time, the protective goggles he wore were prohibited in Ireland, England and France, preventing the former Leinster man from making his way back to the very top level.
McKinley signed for Italian club Treviso in 2015 and after the IRFU joined a trial scheme to approve the eyewear, continued his journey with a fairytale return to the RDS to play a Pro12 match against his native Leinster in September 2016.
Saturday was the culmination of that journey.
“I suppose in a week that’s been difficult for a guy who has qualified here to get a match jersey on and really, I think, make himself proud and anyone who was watching proud, I think Ian McKinley, no-one deserves it more,” Schmidt added.
“I know that the door was closed a bit here for him because he couldn’t wear the goggles but a champion bloke and I certainly wish him all the very best except potentially if he comes back here in round two of the Six Nations.
“We’re going to have to try to shut him down I suppose.”
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