Ian Keatley is looking forward to a reunion with old friends at Connacht on New Year’s Day, when the Munster man will also be aiming to stay on Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt’s radar at a sold-out Sportsgrounds.

The Munster fly-half came out on top against international colleague Ian Madigan in Leinster's defeat at Thomond Park on St Stephen’s Day.

And with Ireland’s first-choice number ten, Jonathan Sexton, ruled out of the Six Nations opener against Italy on February 7, Keatley already has Rome on his mind.

“I pushed myself into the November Series there so I’m looking to stay in there for the Six Nations,” he told Limerick’s Live95FM.

“It’s always good to put in a good performance against people who are in the same position as you.

“(Joe Schmidt) knows what he wants. All I can do is keep ask questions and knock on the door.”