'my Season's Only Getting Started Now' - Keenan

With a British and Irish Lions' circuit triumph complete Australia successful his grasp, Hugo Keenan spotted nan spread and darted complete nan statement successful Melbourne to guarantee nan bid was wrapped up pinch a crippled to spare.

Sure, location was a conclusion successful nan last crippled to reason nan bid arsenic nan Wallabies salvaged pridefulness successful nan Sydney rain, but aft a agelong and challenging season, Keenan's thoughts turned to addressing a hep problem that had plagued him for upwards of 18 months.

Sitting retired nan first half of nan caller nine play and missing retired connected Ireland's November internationals was not ideal, but needs must and a return successful January seemed connected way erstwhile misfortune would strike.

On a pre-Six Nations training campy pinch Ireland successful Portugal, Keenan suffered a fractured thumb which would sideline him for nan full tournament, pushing backmost his return that yet came successful Leinster's 38-17 conclusion by Glasgow successful nan URC connected 21 March.

The full-back did transverse for a effort successful that game, but pinch Edinburgh nan visitors to Dublin's Aviva Stadium successful nan past 16 of nan European Champions Cup connected Sunday [17:30 BST], he admits "it only feels for illustration my season's getting going now".

"With nan hip, it was astir pre-planned. I knew it was coming; it was a clip to get correct and a bully clip post-Lions erstwhile there's people a bigger break," Keenan said astatine Leinster's news convention this week.

"It was reliable being retired of November [internationals] but I accepted it and that was manageable erstwhile nan thumb wounded came about, I'd been declared fresh and was starting to consciousness sharp.

"I'd conscionable missed retired connected playing a crippled pinch Leinster and past for it to travel astir successful nan first training convention successful a backs portion pinch constricted interaction aft 5 and a half months [out], it was really frustrating, but these things happen.

"It's fixed maine a chance to get afloat right, get moreover fitter, get nan remainder of nan assemblage emotion good. It's been a agelong mates of weeks but I'm raring to spell now."