Keatley Next In Line For 100

Having won his first Munster cap against Newport-Gwent Dragons in Cork, should he feature for Munster this Saturday, Ian Keatley will also win his 100th cap for the province against the Welsh outfit at Irish Independent Park.

Already three of his Munster team-mates have reached the career milestone this season and Ian becomes the ninth player of the current squad to have done so, alongside Donncha O’Callaghan, Paul O’Connell, Denis Hurley, Donnacha Ryan, Damien Varley – and this year’s additions – Billy Holland, Keith Earls and Tommy O’Donnell.

Dublin born, he first plied his trade at Suttonians RFC and a generation later it’s coincidence that both he and Duncan Williams now have nephews on the Suttonians' U7s team (see right). The out-half attended Belvedere College where he was a member of the team that won the Leinster Senior Schools Cup in 2005 – bringing to an end a 33 year wait for the school – and later played club rugby for UCD and Clontarf.

Through the age grades he represented Ireland U18 and U19, and was part of the U20 Grand Slam winning
team of 2007.

After joining Connacht in 2008 from the Leinster Academy, Ian represented the western province a total of 57 times before joining Munster in 2011 and it’s fitting that the 28 year old may win his 100^th cap on Leeside, and against Dragons, after making his senior debut against the Welshmen at the old Musgrave Park.

On that September night in 2011, the debutant landed two penalties and two conversions for the Men in Red, starting his path to becoming become Munster’s top points scorer for the past four seasons and Munster’s second top points scorer of all time after Ronan O’Gara. In fact, Ian is one of just three players to score over 1000 points in the league, achieving the landmark in November's PRO12 game against Ulster in Limerick.

At European level he made his debut against Castres in Thomond Park in January 2012 and last season started every game of the Heineken Cup campaign, also winning a nomination for Munster Rugby Player of the Year 2014. Last October the playmaker kicked a sensational last-minute drop-goal against Sale Sharks in Round 1 of the inaugural Champions Cup to secure victory for the province.

Such impressive form throughout the season culminated in the former Wolfhounds and Emerging Ireland representative adding to his tally of Irish senior caps when he made his first 6 Nations appearance last February, starting against Italy in Rome and giving an exemplary kicking display in which he landed 1 conversion and 4 penalties.

Just last January Ian signed a two-year contract extension that will see him stay with the province until at least June 2017.

Winning his first Munster cap against Dragons at Musgrave Park, Cork in 2011.

Celebrating the aforementioned dropgoal against Sale Sharks with JJ Hanrahan and Simon Zebo.