Ryan: ‘Small Margins’ Will Be The Difference

With the Welsh in town for Round 1 of the 2016 RBS 6 Nations this weekend, second row Donnacha Ryan talks about life in the Ireland camp post-Paul O’Connell and previews the ‘big and abrasive’ challenge that lies in store come game time on Sunday – KO 3pm.

Ryan played alongside O’Connell for eleven seasons at Munster, with the Tipperary native also sharing four of those seasons with O’Connell on the international stage.
 
The injury enforced absence of O’Connell in the 2012/13 season aside, the talismanic second row became an instrumental figure for Ireland across 14 seasons, most recently captaining the side to back to back 6 Nations championships in 2014 and 2015, and becoming just the fourth player in history to achieve 100 Irish caps (108 in total) having previously captained Munster and the British and Irish Lions.
 
While O’Connell’s influence will undoubtedly be missed, Ryan believes Ireland remain well stocked in the leadership stakes and that with change comes a new opportunity for a players to step up and put their own stamp on proceedings going forward.
 
“Paul was unique, but it's not as though we're playing with 14 players now.  Whoever comes in will do just as good a job.  If anything it will spur them on to try even harder and be just as aggressive.
 
“There's no point doing a copy and paste of what Paulie did because he was unique.  We've got to bring our own traits and habits.  There's no shortage of leaders. It's infectious as well, and people lead by example.  It raises everyone's standard, and helps young guys coming in as they see the expectations.”
 
Named amongst the replacements for Sunday’s Test with Wales, the Munster lock, and the bench in its entirety, can bank on playing a key role in what will be a hugely physical and attritional test. 
 
In earmarking a number of players to watch this weekend, Ryan commented, “Alun Wyn Jones is a Lions captain and a big unit, and you've got Luke Charteris and Bradley Davies off the bench.  They are all big and abrasive, heavy guys who have been going well.
 
“But we have great talent there too. Devin Toner has probably been our most consistent player.  Mike McCarthy has been playing well for Leinster and Ultan Dillane has been tremendous, he is a real livewire.
 
“Wales have a lot of experience but we have a lot in our tank as well.  A lot will hinge on small margins.”
 
Ryan is one of seven Munster players named in Joe Schmidt’s side to face Wales.  See the full side here.