WHEN CROSSING FOR a try which wrote him into Lions lore, Hugo Keenan was dealing with more than he perhaps had let on.

Granted, he is keen to stress he wasn’t injured when crossing the line for the score which gave Andy Farrell’s tourists into an unassailable 2-0 lead over the Wallabies. But there was an on-again, off-again hip issue which ultimately saw him go under the knife shortly after the third Test.

Turns out the problem joint first flared up a while ago. 2024, to be precise.

“It was the second last game, in the England match over in Twickenham,” says Keenan. “And then I pulled out in the warm-up for the Scotland game, which was the finale trying to win the Six Nations.

“It’s sort of been at me since then and it’s been a busy period going from the end of that season, finals rugby, into the Olympics, back into the ’24/25 season always with the goal of getting to the Lions.

“So it’s not like a gradual worse thing, but you’re just taking more impacts and more impacts. And then eventually you sort of just have to chat to physios, docs…as to what’s the best way for longevity of a career.

“It’s not like I got injured in the last game of the Lions. It was a bit more pre-planned than that. And if there’s ever a good time to get an injury, so people have said, after the Lions tour isn’t a bad time. You’ll be probably rested for two months anyway.”

Keenan scored the try which wrapped up the Lions series for Andy Farrell's team. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

Keenan is still on track to return in January. After Jamie Osborne was ruled out for four months and Mack Hansen was sent for a scan on a recurring foot problem, Ireland should have at least one fit fullback for the Six Nations opener away to France.

Watching Ireland’s games against Australia and South Africa in person, as well as spending time with the squad during ‘Boks week, Keenan had a good view of those who wore the 15 jersey of which he has been the dominant occupant. Osborne’s aerial work was strong against the All Blacks, while Hansen returned with a significant impact both in the air and on the scoreboard against the Wallabies.

We’re probably not at the stage where, if all three were fit, backfield selection for Paris would be a talking point. But Ireland do now have more options in a position which once was seen as a problem area in terms of depth.

“It’s good to have that competition,” says Keenan. “But I think if the three of us are all back fit and healthy, there’s space for us all in that backline if we’re all playing well.”

On Ireland’s transition to a more kick-heavy game plan, Keenan points to the benefits, rather than the stylistic concerns emanating from some quarters. He also highlights the brain behind Ireland’s new boot-to-ball strategy.

“I can only see it as a positive,” he says. “There’s more awareness around how we can impact a game.

It suits me. I would like to think it’s one of my strengths, the aerial side of the game. It suits the lads as well and it suits the Irish backthree.

“Who’s been good for that surprisingly is Sexto [assistant coach Johnny Sexton]. He’s come into the Irish set-up, he was in the Lions set-up and he’s taken a bit more of a focus on the kicking side of things.

“He’s not sitting there pretending he was the best in the backfield at catching high balls. But he reads the game so well, learns about the game, has such a good eye for trends, technique, everything.

“He’s done a lot of research, I know he’s worked with some AFL clubs, some NRL teams while we were in Australia. We’ve had Brian Fenton from Dublin GAA, he’s learning a lot in that space about back threes. He’s [Sexton] been brilliant.”