Jack Conan bounces in through the door and sits forward in his seat. The Irish number 8 and occasional blindside is an energy giver to the room. Some players don’t like to chat, are wary and defensive. Conan is not one of those, his willingness to talk communicating confidence and strength.
“No one ever got better from not playing,” he says. Not playing is one of the themes of today’s conversation, although with Irish captain Caelan Doris injured and unavailable for selection, Conan may find out today that he is playing. Cameo roles are all well and good from the bench, and he is fine with the Irish captain starting as number 8. Still, he is a rugby player, and players like nothing better than to get on the pitch.
“It gives you confidence,” he says. “When you’re out there and getting an opportunity, whether you are making mistakes or not ... if you want to improve. You don’t last very long in an environment if you’re not quite critical of yourself and performance,” he says. “You always want to get better. You’ve got to want to learn, have conversations, pick up with coaches after games, what do you think? You review things, but maybe they’re thinking something you’re not and it’s important to have those things.
Who has been added to Ireland’s Six Nations squad and why?
“‘Oh, I thought you were good, but maybe get off the line a bit better or you can bring more energy.’ In this environment there is always a constant feedback loop, whether it’s training or games, halftime or afterwards. Lads are always chatting to each other trying to pick up little things, how do I go there, I think it feeds into a collective and keeps everyone to a higher standard as well.”
Of course, Conan is playing. Against England he came on after 49 minutes for Ryan Baird and against Scotland played in the first half and again in the second. Following a series of injuries, Baird came on for Tadhg Beirne after nine minutes before he too was injured. Conan came into the game for Baird before Beirne was passed fit to play and came back onto the pitch for Conan.
‘Happy enough with my performance in the last few weeks, and nice to get a break there last week and reconvene, and then get to a bit of work’
— Jack Conan
Conan then replaced Peter O’Mahony after 51 minutes and quickly scored a try. If Simon Easterby was looking for impact, Conan delivered. He knows he must. Part of his personal vitality comes from understanding that in test match rugby, you cannot allow the game to pass you by. Experience has taught him to be better at inserting himself into the conversation, to be bold about stepping forward.
“Definitely, you always want to have an impact and maybe when I was younger, I thought having an impact was with ball in hand because that’s what came more naturally to me,” says the 32-year-old father. “As you get older you know you can have an impact in so many ways. Defensively, coming on against Scotland, we get that barge out on the touchline.
[ Dan Sheehan set to captain Ireland for Six Nations clash against Wales Opens in new window ]
“You can have an impact that kind of way. Previously I would have thought, ‘Jesus I’m not getting a load of carries in here, I’m not having an impact'. But now you learn to assert yourself in anyway, no matter what the way of the game is going. I think that’s something that I’ve got better at, not just waiting to get an opportunity to carry the ball.”
Wales on Saturday in Cardiff, he feels, is an opportunity. Baird and O’Mahony, he says, are probably more natural players at six, although he is comfortable stepping in again. But a start at eight would suit to get into an early rhythm and hopefully allow him multiple impacts.
“Absolutely, be great to get a run out, great to get a start,” he says. “Happy enough with my performance in the last few weeks, and nice to get a break there last week and reconvene, and then get to a bit of work.
“So been a good few days and lads are excited. We get the opportunity to go on the weekend, make sure it doesn’t pass me by and make the most of it. Obviously it’s disappointing to lose Caelan, he’s been fantastic the last two weeks and, please God, we get him back for France, because he’s been incredible leader both on and off the pitch.”
Conan knows what’s coming from the Welsh. A new coach with nothing to lose and a closed roof in the Principality Stadium brings its own kind of threat. He also played with many of these players on the Lions tour to South Africa in 2021.
“An unbelievably good group of men,” he says. And he knows it.
