James Ryan moving past Lions omission: 'Disappointments always add fuel to the fire'

Sound bites for public consumption are no weather vane as to anyone’s mood but there is at least an admittance that the Lions omission will feed the fire going forward

James Ryan of Leinster and Ross Molony celebrate their side's third try during the United Rugby Championship match against Vodacom Bulls at the Aviva Stadium. Picture: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile

Hard to fathom but it’s six months now since Warren Gatland named his Lions touring party for South Africa. Two since the last of three execrable Tests, and the series with it, was decided at an empty and joyless Cape Town Stadium.

That James Ryan, who turned 25 during the summer, wasn’t part of it still takes some digesting. If his form wasn’t at the supernova level of previous years then this still seemed like an achievement well within his grasp.