Murray Kinsella Reports from Hamamatsu

IRELAND HAVE NOTICED a change in James Ryan in recent times.

The 23-year-old is finding his voice. 

Captain of virtually every team he played for through the age-grades, Ryan is a certainty to lead Ireland at senior Test level in the future. Some reckon it will be sooner rather than later.

James Ryan has swiftly become a key player for Ireland. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

Already, his leadership is coming to the fore. Those of us on the outside of Ireland’s ‘bubble’ can see him taking responsibility in key moments, watch him being part of important decisions on the pitch, hear him bellowing out to team-mates on the ref mic.

Ryan has been a leader by example since his Ireland debut, but those on inside of Joe Schmidt’s group are seeing and hearing the second row’s growth as a leader first-hand.

“He has a bit to say and he’s pretty stern about saying it as well, which is good,” explains Cian Healy.

“He was fairly quiet at the start and hard to get a bit out of it, but you knew there was something in there. He’s coming out now as a bit of a comic as well, so you’re getting to see the full side of James now.”

While Ryan is growing as a leader, he continues to improve as a player too, with his impact seemingly increasing with every Test he plays.

The Dublin man is still young but he appears to be realising just how good he is – imposing himself on games in an even more astounding manner than he has done from the very beginning of his Test career in 2017.

“It’s pretty hard to live up to the way he started, really,” says Ireland boss Joe Schmidt. “I think it was his second touch against the USA, he might have run about 40 metres to score, so we have the expectation.

“I think he went about 40cm to score at the weekend against Scotland but that was every bit as important. He’s able to physically impose himself a little bit more. He’s always been a super athlete but two years ago he was kind of still finding his way. 

Ryan has developed athletically over the pre-season. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

“He’s also taking more responsibility for the lineout. Obviously, it was a massive call for him to be running the lineout in Wales in [this year's] final Six Nations game and then it turned out to be very wet, which makes it even more complicated but we thought that he worked his way through that game really well.

“Defensively, he’s just a workaholic. He works so hard that he makes the game easier for the players playing either side of him. I’m sure there are things he’s always working away on and that’s one of the things that I admire most about him – he’s certainly never satisfied with the performance.

“He’s always looking to improve and I think the more players you can have like that, the better position you’re in.”

That Ryan still has improvement to make is a frightening prospect. He is already a physically dominant player at the very highest level, with his ball-carrying, tackling, rucking, work-rate and set-piece skills at a truly elite level.

There is perhaps more to come from him in terms of passing and offloading, but Ryan is well on the way to being a complete rugby player. 

Indeed, it’s difficult to see how he won’t be one of Ireland’s all-time greats. Importantly, the former St Michael’s student doesn’t have time for that kind of statement, as focused as he is on learning and getting better.

“It’s incredible what he’s doing and just the shape he’s in,” says Healy. “He’s young, he’s put himself forward to be where he is and he’s worked incredibly hard at it.

“He doesn’t have a ceiling to where he can go to, he just keeps getting better and better and I don’t see it stopping.

“Just watching on, it’s something to take for any of the other players, to see how he trains and how he works. He works on every side of the game. I’ve roomed with him before and he’s sitting in the corner writing his notes before bed. It’s great seeing how much of a professional he is.”