'It wouldn't be as big for us as people outside make it'

Ireland hooker Ronan Kelleher admits 12 months of international injury frustration made Saturday’s stunning Guinness Six Nations success over France “all the sweeter”.

The world’s top-ranked team launched themselves into pole position for championship title glory with a thrilling 32-19 win – their first victory over Les Bleus under head coach Andy Farrell.

Kelleher had not featured at Test level since being forced off in the first half of last year’s 30-24 defeat to Fabien Galthie’s reigning Grand Slam champions in Paris due to a string of fitness issues.

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But he produced a key 55-minute cameo in Dublin after first-choice hooker Dan Sheehan was ruled out by a hamstring issue and understudy Rob Herring had his afternoon cut short by a head knock.

“It’s a remarkable environment to come back into and having been out for some time it makes it all the sweeter to get back out there and play again,” said Kelleher. “I’m delighted with how it went.

“The competition is great, there is no step down from first to second or third choice.

“It is a competitive bunch, we’re constantly pushing each other to get better. If you don’t make the standard you won’t be there. That’s pushing us forward all the time.”

Kelleher emerged as the natural successor to the retired Rory Best earlier in the Farrell era but has since been overtaken in the pecking order by Leinster team-mate Sheehan.

The 25-year-old was Ireland’s leading try-scorer in 2021, including crossing in the 15-13 home defeat to France in that year’s Six Nations.

Having sustained a shoulder injury in the round-two defeat at Stade de France last February, he subsequently missed the victorious summer tour of New Zealand, before hamstring troubles sidelined him in the autumn and for the opening match of this year’s championship.

A landmark victory over Les Bleus following three successive losses to them means Ireland have now toppled all of world rugby’s major nations during the Farrell era.

“It wouldn’t be as big for us as people outside make it,” Kelleher said of previous failures to beat the French.

“We had chances to win the games in the past. Certain things we didn’t get right in those games.

“Even though we have lots of learnings, enough stuff went right for us to get the win.”