By Ian McKinley

It’s February 2011. I am the Leinster No.10 at the RDS. Ironically enough, Treviso provide the opposition. I’m named man of the match after putting Dave Kearney in for a try and running a line off Dominic Ryan’s break for a score of my own.

We win 30-5. Great memory. First start at home in blue. Pre-match nerves revolved around proving to Joe Schmidt that I could make the step up and run the game.

A few bounces of the ball went my way despite the sight in my left eye being around 70 percent. This was several months after the injury. After the perforated eye ball. It didn’t pop out entirely. Still required a rush to hospital, emergency surgery and some very dark times.

I recovered and returned to rugby, or so it seemed.

This performance seemed like a huge moment in my career until we returned to the changing room. Joe was not happy because we left a bonus point out there. Andrew Conway only crossed for the third try in injury time. Deep into the Six Nations, with Irish internationals away in camp, and our coach is raising his voice about how we failed to attain our goals. The man of the match award is put out of sight as back down to earth we land (I was still very happy with my performance).

Joe, like any coach at the highest level, keeps you on your toes. That’s crucial. I was a sponge to Schmidt’s coaching, and Michael Cheika’s before him, but it wasn’t going to last much longer.

This rugby career was about to crumble around me. Forced retirement, age 21, was imminent.

So much happened before and since that game. For starters, Treviso is my club now. It is also our home. Sono Italiano.

When the accident happened in 2010 I was told, “one year, minimum, away from the game”.

Recovery took six months. My vision progressively improved. 50 percent sight, 70 percent sight, then came complications in the summer of 2011. Cataracts, the clouding of the lens in the eye, leads to decreased and eventually no vision. After so much pressure due to the initial accident, my retina detached entirely.

I am blind but at least the eye was saved.

I’m grateful for the naivety and boldness of a 20-year-old. I viewed what happened as tweaked ligaments. There was a process to get back on the field. I adapted to the situation handed to me. I didn’t over think it. The focus was to not let Ian Madigan disappear too far into the distance as Johnny Sexton’s understudy.

McKinley versus Madigan. St Columba’s outhalf against the Blackrock guy, was never really the way either of us saw the rivalry. I’ve known Ian since we were nine year olds playing Gaelic football for Kilmacud Crokes. Our friendship goes back that far. He was a year ahead of me in school but in the Leinster set-up we were fighting for the same opportunities behind Johnny.

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I think we brought the best out in each other. He certainly did for me. The areas he was stronger I’d hone in on improving. Healthy rivalry and genuine respect.

I made my debut for Leinster at 19, one week before the first Heineken Cup final against Leicester, an 18-9 defeat to the Dragons at Rodney Parade at the end of a long hard season for others but me and Kyle Tonetti it provided our first taste of senior rugby.

There were other tough experiences in that environment – we had to grow up pretty quickly – but I look at my era of Ireland under-20s and see enormous progress. Dave Kearney, Jack McGrath, Rhys Ruddock, Peter O’Mahony, Conor Murray, Mads and the late Nevin Spence. This was a special group of players.

Having come through the Academy system onto a full contract at one of the best clubs in Europe, I was on the fast track.