Ryan feeding off ‘positive’ attitude in Irish camp

WHEN you are as happy to be at this World Cup as Donnacha Ryan is, it may come as a surprise to learn the Munster and Ireland utility forward has no problem about when to switch on to the task at hand.

Being a part of a squad buzzing with confidence after a memorable first tournament victory over the number two-ranked Australians and then getting a first run out in a nine-try romp against the Russia, as Ryan did last Sunday, might be enough to send even the most measured player a bit giddy.

And the Nenagh man is understandably delighted to be at his first World Cup and one in which everything is so far going according to plan.

“It’s unbelievable,” Ryan said. “Everyone is on such a high going around the place and everyone is in such good form. It’s brilliant the way people are so positive. The reports on the matches is more positive too and people feed off that. I don’t mean to sound like Santa Claus on Prozac,” he joked.

Mention the next challenge, though, which comes in Ireland’s final Pool C match with a must-win game against Italy on Sunday in Dunedin’s new Otago Stadium, and Ryan immediately switches gear.

“This is where we have to refocus now,” he said. “We have to get settled and get used to the stadium indoors. We’ve played three games in poor weather so it will be nice for a change.

“(Against Russia) it was a bit all over the place at times. We’re disappointed to leak two tries but I was delighted to get my hands on the ball a few times. I’d like to do it a bit more but I suppose someone has to do a bit of rucking out there.”

Having watched the two opening wins over the USA and Wallabies from the replacements bench, Ryan would have happily rucked all day but he was utilised both in the back row, where at started at blindside and at lock, having moved there when Denis Leamy replaced Donncha O’Callaghan in the 45th minute. “I’m flying it. It was good, it was nice to get a run out there.

“I would have loved to have come on (in the first game), I was the only sub not to come on in the America game. To be fair it was the right decision. The lads needed as much time as possible to try and get the bonus point. Bringing a man on would have killed another minute that we needed. In the Australia game it was nip and tuck and there was no way I was going to be brought on but it was great to get out there against Russia and to have any involvement at all is fantastic. Obviously you don’t want to be on the bench all the time, so the Russia game was a good opportunity to put the name forward. I got a good pump-out in the lungs and I was happy enough, apart from a knock-on early on … I got white-line fever! We should leave the tries to the backs.”