Fit-again Jack Conan out to repay Andy Farrell's faith in him

JACK'S BACK: Jack Conan of Ireland during the Pool B match against Scotland at the Stade de France. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Last Saturday night in Saint-Denis was a night for the big picture. The tiers of green around Stade de France, the majestic sweep of the Irish performance. The fact that it was just the latest in a line 17 games won going back two summers.

Some of the individual details did manage to stand out. The injuries to a handful of key players caught more than James Lowe’s left eye and the sight of Stuart McCloskey nursing his infant son Kasper made for a snapshot of rare tenderness pitchside.

McCloskey’s appearance off the bench had come mere days after his baby’s arrival into the world and brought to an end six weeks of a wait for a run and his first for Ireland in the environs of a World Cup.

But what of Jack Conan?

The Leinster man had two months to kill between an appearance against Italy in the first of the warm-ups, when he damaged foot ligaments, and the point shortly after 10pm local time when he got the signal to step onto the sward.

For Conan this wasn’t just a moment eight weeks in the making. It was over four years since his first attempt at a World Cup had spanned just over an hour against Scotland before another foot injury directed him to an early flight home in a moon boot.

“I’ve been here a few weeks on my holidays but the lads have been working hard and I’ve been doing sweet nothing rugby wise! No, it’s fantastic to be out there. Obviously we started off incredibly well and you’re thinking I might get on a bit earlier here and get a few minutes. The lungs were hurting, I was blowing really hard, but I was always going to be.

“There’s no amount of work in the gym or training that can get you really ready for international rugby, especially World Cups. So, I was blowing hard and I was happy enough with how it went. One silly penalty given away but, look, if I get the opportunity to play next week, I’ll be better again and I look forward to that challenge if I do.” 

That his return was overshadowed shouldn’t underplay what it means going forward.

Conan started all three of the British and Irish Lions Tests against South Africa in 2021 and his availability after so long on the sidelines shouldn’t be underestimated now that brows are being furrowed about potential absences elsewhere this coming weekend.

He spoke late last month about how Andy Farrell had opted to name him in the squad in spite of the fact that he was always going to be available for a good chunk of the tournament and that man management has manifested itself in numerous ways this last four years.

Farrell’s emotional intelligence has been one of the pillars of his time in charge but there are plenty of others that have had to combine to bring this Ireland team to a World Cup quarter-final against New Zealand in such a positive frame of mind.

“What’s his secret? You’d have to ask him that,” said Conan. “I couldn’t tell you. He just gets it. He just really gets it, more than any other coach I’ve ever played under or I’ve met. He just gets the game.

“He understands it and knows how to relay that to the players and how to big us up for the games and coach us in the right way. It’s the same for Paulie and Catty and Si and Fogs. They’re an unbelievable backroom and coaching staff. They’re, I think, the best in the world, and it’s an absolute joy to play for them.”