John Ryan: CJ Stander will get even better for Ireland

The best has yet to come! That’s the view of Munster prop John Ryan as he enthuses about CJ Stander’s man-of-the-match performance for Ireland against Wales last Sunday and now avidly looks forward to another “blinder” from the South African in Paris tomorrow.

Having helped CJ to work on his singing of the national anthem and been pleasantly surprised at how well he did, Ryan confidently expected an outstanding display against Wales. He wasn’t disappointed but believes this is only the start of really great things for his provincial captain.

“He will definitely grow more in an Irish jersey,” Ryan declared. “That was only his first game. The pressure was on him, he had to produce and got that man-of-the-match award. He works very hard and trains very hard. And when he’s on the pitch, and it’s a very bruising encounter, he will still have the same consistency as if it was a more open game. He’ll still have those 20 carries, 23 at the weekend.