Masoe hails Ryan's influence on Racing dressing room

Former All Black Chris Masoe has praised Donnacha Ryan’s contribution to Racing 92’s charge to the Champions Cup final, crediting the Munster man’s positivity with lifting the squad in his debut season.

Ryan, 34, spent a long time in the Munster dressing room at Stade Chaban-Delmas, sharing a beer with his former team-mates following Racing’s 27-22 victory in Bordeaux, but it was the other changing room that is benefitting from the lock’s presence as they celebrate progress to a second European decider in three seasons and a showdown with Leinster in Bilbao on May 12.

Masoe, a two-time European champion with Toulon and now Racing’s skills and defence coach, saw his charges storm into a 21-3 lead after just 22 minutes against Munster on Sunday and then hold off a second-half fightback, with Ryan putting in 19 tackles against the side he was a part of for 13 seasons.