FEW IRISH RUGBY players have made as much progress as Alex Kendellen has done this season, going from playing in the U-20 Six Nations last summer to front-lining for Munster in the Champions Cup, and the young Cork back rower doesn’t want to stop now.
He’ll be back on home turf in Musgrave Park on Friday night taking on Cardiff and aside from trying to get the win which will keep their URC home quarter-final on track, he’s hoping to do enough to face Toulouse the following week in Aviva Stadium.
Munster, often out of sheer necessity, have been throwing in the young lads all season but Kendellen is one of the few to hang in there and 16 games this season, while still an academy player, is testimony to a player with bucket loads of potential.
He will be upgraded to a full senior contract for the start of next season but if there’s talk that he might get a sniff of Irish involvement in New Zealand by then, it’s not something he’s going to dwell on.
“To be honest, it’s been all focus towards the URC and that Toulouse game and I don’t think I’m looking past that. We’ve got a big job to do in Munster and whatever happens after that happens. It’s all focus here on Munster and it’s focus on the URC and Champions Cup.”
He’s quick to pay tribute to those who have helped him get this far, and it’s helpful that incoming head coach Graham Rowntree is right up there in that regard as he made the transition from U-20 rugby to the Champions Cup.
“There have been players in the squad who have helped me with that jump and as well as that then, Graham Rowntree has been a massive help as well in that transition.
“The biggest advice Graham has given me is always be myself, always go out there and show my skill set and don’t stray away from my game.
“I’m building confidence with every game, I’m learning from players who have played on Lions tours, from Irish internationals all around me, all the back rows have helped me massively, the likes of Gav Coombes who really took me under his wing for the 18 months I have been in here and yeah, look, I’m enjoying every minute that I’m playing in the Munster jersey.”
He got a great kick out of the Champions Cup win against Exeter Chiefs at Thomond Park and having captained the Ireland U-20 team last summer, it’s no surprise that he doesn’t stray from Leeside in identifying the player he regards as his role model.
“I suppose it’s hard to look past Pete (O’Mahony). He has come up in a similar way to me. He has come up in Cork Constitution, he has gone through Pres, he has played Senior Cup and he is in Munster. So, I think Pete is one that I’m trying to follow.
“It’s just taking me under his wing, along with all the rest of the lads. I think as a captain he has really brought me in and immersed myself into the culture and, look, I can’t speak highly enough of Pete and the other lads in the back-row who have really taken me under their wing over the last 12-18 months.”
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